The Prince Ascendant
by Hagunemnon
Summary: What if Vegeta had ended up being the one to kill Cell, and became the next ascended Super Saiyan after Gohan? Paths diverge and the Prince of All Saiyans goes down a different path, finally learning what it feels like to be a hero. (If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send them to my story's Reddit topic. Link in my profile!)
1. Divergence

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter One: Divergence

It all happened so fast. Kakarot's son had failed to finish Cell off...Kakarot was a fool to trust a _child_ to destroy the greatest threat to Earth since Frieza. The boy didn't have the combat experience required to finish the job. As Cell prepared to destroy himself and, by extension, the Earth and all its inhabitants in a desperate bid to not lose to Gohan, Kakarot had used his instant transmission to take Cell away from Earth, giving his life to save the planet and everyone on it. But, he'd failed. The wind blew from behind the Prince of All Saiyans, and he felt the horrible power again, the power of Cell, vastly increased after his attempted suicide.

That's when his world had turned upside down. Cell used Frieza's death beam attack to kill Trunks. His son. His son dead, and he couldn't even save him. The future of the Saiyan race, his own flesh and blood, lie dead with a gaping hole in his chest and he, Vegeta, had been has helpless as a newborn to stop him. Disbelief gave way to anger, and anger gave way to rage.

Vegeta bared his teeth, a growl forming in his throat. "Damn it..." he uttered, fury and outrage burning in his soul like the raging inferno of the sun. "The Prince of All Saiyans, too weak to protect his own son..."

He could feel it, the hurt welling up in him, the aching in his chest was too much to bear, and he let out a howl of unbridled, blood-soaked rage. The ground beneath him shook violently and it felt like the world beneath him was tearing itself apart like his heart had been. He felt a wellspring of power surge from deep within, and he knew he had changed. Like Gohan. The power, it was unbelievable, it was like a dam had burst open in his soul, flooding his body with raw ki. Burning rage turned to cold, furious hate as he looked at Cell, who had Kakarot's son at his feet, the boy barely conscious and bleeding from numerous wounds.

Cell had to die. He had the power now, he could do it. He, Vegeta, would be the one to butcher this monster who'd dared kill his son. Cell looked his way, too dumbfounded to deliver the killing blow to Kakarot's son. Vegeta's felt his face take on a look of unholy glee, the bastard knows nothing of the man he'd just provoked. In his hate, Vegeta knew he ought not to waste time; this monster preyed on arrogance and stupidity, and he'd be damned if he'd let it take advantage of _him_.

"Die," was the only word to come from his mouth as he sped toward Cell, his hate driving his fist through the beast's chest before it'd even had the chance to react. He ripped it out as the monster coughed up its purple blood, a look of utter horror and shock etched on its face. Vegeta wasted no time, he kicked the arrogant thing into the sky, and prepared the killing blow. He felt his ki surge as he channeled his finishing strike, his Final Flash. Everything seemed to slow, he saw Cell attempting to right himself in the air as his attack flared in his hands. Cell was preparing a counter blow, but it was too late, far too late.

"FINAL! FLASH!" were the last words the beast heard as Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans reborn, unleashed his attack. The wave of ki belted toward Cell with unerring accuracy and unchallenged speed. He felt his attack connect a moment later, and a feeling of savage joy crept into his heart as he felt his attack disintegrate the monster's body, it had died in agony. Cell's energy signature faded, and he knew it was over. He, Vegeta, had done what Kakarot had not. He'd won. He'd bested Cell. He'd even outclassed his prodigy of a son. His elation gave way to exhaustion, his form sapping the last remaining shreds of stamina he had left. He sank to his knees as he reverted, smiling.

"So, Kakarot," he whispered to himself as Kakarot's friends gathered around his son to make sure the boy was okay. "This is what it feels like to be a hero. Hmph...it feels pretty good." As darkness claimed him, his thoughts turned to his son of the present, he was safe, and his future counterpart had been avenged.

The next few weeks had been...hectic, to say the least. Using the dragon balls, they'd undone the damage Cell had done to the Earth and brought back those he'd killed. Kakarot, however, had decided to remain in the afterlife. Though the decision initially perplexed him, somewhere inside, Vegeta understood. He also understood that there were likely to be many powerful warriors in the afterworld and, knowing Kakarot, he'd be spending his days training with them to become even stronger. He could not allow a gap in power between them now, not after he'd achieved something Kakarot had not. He vowed that the Prince of All Saiyans would never again play second fiddle to a lower-class clown, no matter _how_ talented a warrior he was. He'd train harder, push himself further, and become an even better warrior than he was now, that was the way of the Saiyan.

He'd bid farewell to his son from the future after Kakarot's funeral. During their last private moment together, he'd even told him that he was proud of him for what he'd accomplished. His son smiled at that, and thanked him with tears in his eyes. After all he'd managed, Trunks deserved a little praise. But now, it was just him and his Trunks, who was too young to train, and would be for many years yet. Knowing that training with a partner would be far more productive, and enjoyable, than training alone, he'd extended a training invitation to the only person on the planet who could be considered his equal, Kakarot's son. He knew his overbearing mother wanted him to be a scholar, but the boy had Saiyan blood in him, and just because Cell was dead didn't mean that there would never be another threat to Earth again. He knew better. Chi Chi had been mollified by that, and allowed Gohan to train with Vegeta on the weekend, if he so desired.

Things were looking up for the Prince of All Saiyans. He intended to keep it that way. It was going to be an interesting few years...

**Author's Notes:**

So, a new story! I had this idea pop into my head a while ago, and it just wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote on it some. Vegeta deserves an _important_ victory, especially after all the crap he got in canon, the poor man never caught a break. Now, let's see what he _does_ with it, hmm?

Work is beginning on the second chapter, _Bojack Destroyed_. Its...maybe a third done, at the time of this writing. A special shout-out to my first reviewer, CMCMC, for their kind words. To answer you, I do plan on making these chapters long than this one. This one was written between classes, so I was a little pressed for time. The others should be significantly more meaty.


	2. Bojack Destroyed

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Two: Bojack Destroyed

Six months had passed since the defeat of Cell and the death of Kakarot. In that time, the Prince of All Saiyans had been training almost non-stop, both on his own and with Kakarot's son. The boy was phenomenally strong, but his gentle nature was retarding his progress despite his obvious desire to learn and grow stronger. Despite that, he was proving a good enough sparring partner as the two Saiyans worked to understand the new form they'd achieved. It was during the beginning of one of these weekend training sessions that he'd learned Kakarot's wife was with child. He didn't tell the boy, but he was glad that he'd be having a sibling with whom he could bond and train, a link to his father.

It also caused him to think about his own family that he'd started. His son was still very young, but he could tell that he had a natural drive in him, a natural fire. However, he knew how lonely it was being an only child; his younger brother, Tarble, had been banished as a youngster because of his weakness and gentle nature being an embarrassment to his father. He didn't cry then, but he did wonder if his little brother was still alive somewhere, or if he'd been tracked down and killed by that bastard, Frieza...he doubted he'd ever truly know. More to the point, he'd not wanted his son to be lonely when he grew up, that he'd like someone his own age to have around. Kakarot's second child might fill the gap, but he or she wouldn't be there every hour of every day.

He approached his wife, his Bulma, today and brought forth his concerns. "I don't want Trunks to be lonely," he started, still struggling to figure out how to articulate his thoughts to this oftentimes volatile woman he'd married.

She gave him a strange look and asked, "Vegeta, he's barely a toddler, I don't think he really understands what being lonely actually means..."

"He doesn't have any siblings," the Prince explained.

His wife laughed a bit at this and gave him a sly grin, "Are you saying you want another child, Vegeta?"

Her mischievous nature sometimes rankled him, but Vegeta simply swallowed his embarrassment and replied, "I do."

"I do admit, I worry that Trunks might be lonely growing up, all alone in this big house," his Bulma said with a somber, thoughtful look on her face. "I was, as a kid. I'd have given anything for a little sister." She looked at him suddenly with a perplexed, somewhat concerned look. "What's gotten into you, lately, anyway? You've been acting almost...human."

"I!" Vegeta began, wanting to admonish her for her insolence, but he bit back his first reaction. His Queen, as she occasionally called herself, deserved to know. "I finally accomplished what I'd wanted, I'd beaten Kakarot by killing Cell. I'd even been hailed as a hero by his...friends." Vegeta sighed, explaining his emotions was never an easy task. "I realized, then, what I'd been doing wrong. I'd gained the power to kill that monster because I couldn't protect my son. Not because I didn't think I was as good as Kakarot or _his_ son, but because my son had been killed and I'd been too weak to protect him."

"Vegeta, I-" Bulma began, tear streaming down her face as she watched her husband bear his heart to him for the first time she could recall, before he put his hand up.

"My power came from caring about someone other than myself, I achieved something great because I'd given up my selfish stupidity," he spat the last part out, silently admonishing his past self for his arrogance. "I think...I think I understand Kakarot better now. Why he does what he does. Strength isn't just muscle or brains, I had plenty of those, what I lacked was strength of _self_. I want to become stronger, and to be better than I was. I..." he trailed off for a moment, as his emotions welled up inside him, threatening to bring tears to the Prince's eyes. "I want to be a better father. I want to be a better husband. I want to be a better person. If I am to continue surpassing Kakarot, I must surpass him in person as well as power!"

Watching her husband, her unflappable, stoic Prince be brought nearly to tears by his admission humbled Bulma. He hadn't just saved the world, he'd saved himself. "Vegeta," she said as she wrapped her arms around her man, tears streaming down her face. "I'm...I'm so proud of you. I love you."

Vegeta stood there, in awe. She didn't hate him for being...emotional, for acting so ignoble. She was _proud_ of him. Proud that he'd opened up, proud that he'd saved the world, proud that he was trying to be a better man. "Maybe, there's nothing wrong with being a little human, after all," he whispered to himself the morning after their night together.

So it came to pass that Vegeta, like his part-time student, had received good news: his Bulma was with child, as well. The doctor told them that it'd be a girl. Since Bulma had named Trunks, it was his turn to name their child, whom he'd named Bra. Vegeta was happy, his son would finally have a sibling he could play with and there would be a new Princess of the Saiyans. He knew she'd grow up to be a great warrior, just like his son from the future had been. He would stand for nothing less from his children.

Then, something unexpected happened: a surprise visit from his son's future counterpart. The strange part was that his son had grown three years...the complexity of time travel made his head hurt, at times, but he was happy to see how strong the older Trunks had gotten. Apparently, he'd come to make sure Dr. Gero hadn't had any other misfit creations lying about in their timeline, but Vegeta thought he'd simply missed being around his friends from the past, not that he'd mind that.

"Wait, mom, you're WHAT?!" he overheard his older son saying in the sitting room as he walked by after training. Vegeta stopped by and leaned against the wall outside, wanting to hear his son's reaction to the news he knew his wife was breaking to him.

"I said I'm pregnant, Trunks," she said with a hint of amusement. "Come on, don't tell me I never told you how that happens..." Vegeta knew that, if he weren't careful, his head might catch fire from embarrassment.

"I-you did, but this is just so unexpected, mother," Trunks stammered out, speaking over the television in the background. "I mean..." he heaved a sigh, "ah, congratulations, to both of you!"

Bulma laughed and thanked her son, then she called out, "Hey, Vegeta! You can stop eavesdropping now!"

Instead of shock or annoyance, he simply smiled as he sauntered into the room saying, "Hmph, I should've known you'd sniff me out."

"Hello, father," Trunks said as he scratched the back of his head, his face flushed as he continued to process the news he'd been given.

Vegeta nodded, and then something on the TV caught his eye. It was an announcement of some sort, but that wasn't what had caught his eye, it was _what_ they were announcing: a tournament. Not the World Martial Arts tournament Kakarot's son had told him about, but some sort of Galactic Tournament, held by an X. S. Cash. He had a feeling the "fighters from 'round the galaxy" were nothing but dressed up Earthlings, but he also had little doubt that Kakarot's son and friends would be entering to test their skills against eachother...since even the weakest amongst them far outclassed the rest of this world's fighters, especially that loudmouth, Mr. Satan.

"So, Trunks, what do you think of this tournament?" Vegeta asked his son as the announcement ended.

"I dunno, most of those guys look like actors, but I'd be willing to bet Gohan would want to join," he said with a note of sad wistfulness. "The World Tournament _was_ one of Goku's biggest claims to fame."

Vegeta smiled saying, "Great minds think alike. I'll enter, what about you, my son?"

"Definitely! I want to see how strong everyone's gotten!"

"Good," he said as a sly smile found its way on to his face. "I'd hate to have to drag you in by the ear and force you to sign up." Trunks laughed at that, and Vegeta smiled, he was getting better at this humour thing.

True to form, Kakarot's son had also signed up for the Galactic Tournament, and he'd told him that the Namekian and Kakarot's Earthling friends had also joined. Even if the rest of the entrants were weaklings, he'd still get a good workout. He had a month to prepare to face the others, and he wasted no time in redoubling his training, both with Kakarot's son and his own. After all this, he'd be damned if he was going to be disappointed by his pupils, or disappoint his family with a poor effort. His son begged him to teach him how to ascend beyond a normal Super Saiyan, and he agreed easily. Even if he was from a different time, this Trunks was his son, too, and his time needed the strongest protector they could possibly get.

"No, Trunks," Vegeta called out. "You aren't _nearly_ angry enough, you don't feel the need badly enough." As his son strained to ascend, he added, "Think of Gohan, think of everyone you lost. Think of what you'd feel if a being stronger than Cell appeared, and killed those you hold dear. You need the power! You need it to protect them!"

His son looked about ready to pass out from the effort, they'd been at this for over two weeks, and each time, Trunks got a little closer to bursting the dam that held his power back. A moment's hesitation in telling his son to call it a day and rest was all Trunks needed, apparently. Vegeta felt his son's power skyrocket, just as Gohan's had, that day. He watched as lightning danced from his aura, furiously beating against the floor of the gravity chamber. A lump formed in his throat; _his_ son had done it, too. _His_ son, Trunks, had ascended just as Kakarot's had. An immense surge of pride welled up in him, even as his son gasped for breath and reverted, falling to the floor as his power returned to normal.

Vegeta grabbed his son and shouldered him up, a look of happiness and pride on his face. "Well done, my son," he said as they walked from the training room to the spare bedroom in which Trunks was sleeping during his stay in the past. "You've done well. Rest now, you'll need your strength back for training tomorrow."

As his father helped him to his bed, Trunks looked up at him with a mixture of exhaustion and happiness. "Thank you, father," was all he managed to get out before the strain of his effort overcame him and he fell asleep.

Vegeta closed the door quietly, not wishing to disturb his son's well-earned rest. "Rest well, my son." he said, walking to the kitchen to find something to eat.

He found his Bulma in there, cooking a pot of beef stew, a happy look on her face. "Trying to earn Father of the Year, are we, dear?"

"You have better hearing than the Namekian," he said as he grabbed a bottle of orange drink from the fridge.

Bulma put a lid on the pot, letting the delicious-smelling meal simmer. She turned toward him and grinned, he'd become almost _fun_ since the Cell Games. "I may not have Piccolo's ears," she said as her grin grew wider. "But, I can hear fatherly pride a mile away. He must have done something extra special to put _that_ kind of smile on your face."

Vegeta grinned inside. How had he ever had dislike for their light verbal sparring? "He managed to do it today, he ascended. That's an achievement only Kakarot's son and I had acquired, before now. If that doesn't earn him some praise, I don't know what would."

"He's such a good boy, so dedicated. That you can't even hide your pride in him must make him very happy."

Vegeta blushed a little at this, his Bulma had been working on trying to draw him out since his confession after the Cell Games. It tugged at his sense of noble stoicism, but it also felt good, trying to express and understand his emotions. Who knew this woman would have been so good for him?

A buzzer went off and Bulma turned toward the pot saying, "Oh! The stew's done! Make sure to save some for Trunks! He looked exhausted when you were taking him to his room, so I'm sure he'll be _very_ hungry when he wakes up."

Vegeta laughed a little at that. "Heh, you'll need more than that to feed a Saiyan."

"Oh, I know dear, there's more where that came from!" she said, producing a capsule her shirt pocket and, with a flourish, pressing the trigger and tossing it on the table. What looked to be a meal of a thousand dishes appeared on the table, filling the room with even more appetizing smells. Bulma laughed as she heard a distinct rumble from her husband's stomach; Goku wasn't the only one who could empty a whole buffet in one sitting. As Vegeta went to take his place at the heavily-laden table, he caught the distinct sight of his son's hair as he entered the room.

"Trunks, dear, I thought you were resting," his mother said, concerned.

"Hmph, he's still tired," Vegeta observed, sitting down. "But it seems his stomach is stronger than his fatigue. Good."

Trunks sat down, his face still a little red. "I'm still really tired, but I wouldn't miss one of mom's home-cooked meals for anything." was all he said as he tucked in.

The Briefs family, excluding Dr. Briefs, who was still in his lab, tinkering, enjoyed a sumptuous dinner, that evening. Things were good; everyone was full, Trunks was fast asleep again, and the tournament wasn't long away at all. _It might not be enough time to get him to perfect the form_, Vegeta thought as he showered. _But, at least he knows he can use it should the need arise._ While Vegeta was no master of the state, himself, his weekend training sessions with Kakarot's son had helped him to be able to call upon the power at a moment's notice.

The last few days leading up to the tournament had seen the Prince, his son, and Kakarot's boy all working hard to extend the time they could spend as ascended Super Saiyans. Trunks advanced steadily, and while the form still quickly fatigued him, he could at least actually use it in combat with the proper motivation. And so, the day of the tournament had finally arrived and, to the surprise of exactly nobody, there were at least four dozen participants. The Prince of All Saiyans quietly evaluated the competition and again, to absolutely no one's surprise, only Kakarot's son, Trunks, and Kakarot's friends even registered, to him. The Namekian seemed a good bit stronger than the last time he saw him, and of the non-Saiyans, he wanted to fight him the most.

"W-what, Vegeta is here, too?" the bald Earthling asked in a tone reeking with despair. "Man, if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any!"

Vegeta gave a short laugh at this. The poor fool doesn't realize that he's the strongest pure Earthling on the planet. He might not hold a candle to him, few could, but it was still worth noting. It was announced that the first round would take place on special discs, and whoever was the last man standing would move on. It was then revealed that the final bout would be against none other than that showboating poseur, Mr. Satan. Vegeta loathed the arrogant moron, but a chance to publicly beat "Earth's Greatest Champion" was too amusing a thought to pass up.

The first round ended fairly quickly; he and the other worthy fighters had the fortune to each have a disc to themselves, and easily moved on to the actual fighting rounds. The Namekian didn't even move, the rest of the weaklings couldn't lay a hand on him and had easily eliminated themselves. It was during the short intermission between the rounds that the match-ups had been announced. He'd be facing the Namekian, Trunks would be facing the poor dolt who'd gotten killed by a saibaman, the triclops was facing some overgrown Earthling wearing a loincloth, and the bald one would be facing off against Kakarot's son. The latter others had had their rounds before his, and the results were as predictable as ever: Kakarot's son and his own had handily bested their opponents, and the triclops had knocked his out in a single blow.

His name and the Namekian's were then called, and they quickly took their places in the ring. "Hmph, I was hoping to see how far Gohan had come under your tutelage, but I guess you'll do," the Namekian said, taking his stance.

Vegeta took his stance and smirked, saying, "Don't disappoint me with a poor showing, Namek. I've been looking forward to this."

After he transformed, the battle began: Super Saiyan versus Super Namekian. The Namek threw a punch straight at the Prince's face, but he dodged it with an agile grace, following up with a spin kick the Namekian deflected. Blow after blow landed with a deafening crash and blistering speed. The crowd was wild as each new punch sent a shockwave through their seats. The Namekian sent his Special Beam Cannon hurtling toward the Saiyan Prince, and he dodged with only fractions of a second to spare. Wasting no time, he appeared behind his opponent and gave him a swift blow to the back of the head, sending him careening off the platform and into the air. _He might not be on my level_, Vegeta thought as he sped toward his green opponent. _But, he certainly knows how to make a fight fun!_

The fight went on for several long minutes, neither side wanting to give the other an advantage. Piccolo didn't want to lose to a man who reminded him so much of himself, and Vegeta didn't want his enjoyment to end before he'd wrung this fight for every last drop of pleasure it'd give him. Taking the Namekian's earlier lead, the Prince of All Saiyans began mixing blast attacks, his specialty, in with his normal retinue of punches, kicks, grapples, and headbutts. It was during one such exchange that the climax of the battle occurred: the Namekian, over a hundred meters in the sky above him, fired his trademark Masenko at the Prince. He responded with his Big Bang Attack, and the two ki blasts collided with a blinding radiance. A fierce struggle occurred, the Namekian was obviously putting everything he had into his attack, attempting to tip the balance of power in his favour, but it was for naught.

"In honour of your brave struggle, Namek, I'll show you something spectacular before you lose. HU!" Vegeta yelled the last part as he transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan. He let the lighting flash and the power pour from his aura, knowing the Namek could see what was going to happen. The Prince of All Saiyans flooded his Big Bang Attack with a massive amount of ki, sending the Namekian's own attack, as well as his, into his face with an explosive crash. Amazingly, the Namekian wasn't knocked unconscious by his blow; he was more durable than he'd given him credit for!

"I..." the Namekian began, struggling to regain his breath. "I yield, you win. Well fought, Vegeta."

"The same goes to you...Mister Piccolo," Vegeta replied, laughing at the thunderstruck look on the Namek's face.

"AND THE WINNER ISSSSSSSSSS VEGETAAAAA!" he heard the announcer yell from the loudspeakers. "And what an amazing battle it was! That fight was white hot from start to finish! Oh, if only Mr. Satan hadn't been struck by his recurring gastric distress, he'd have loved that ending! Now, will the remaining fighters please turn their attentions to the screens above them?" The great screen in front of the audience blinked, showing a picture of another island, this one with a dome over the centre of it. "Our sponsor, the resplendent Mr. X. S. Cash, has requested that the next round take place on Battle Island 2! There, our four brave contestants, Vegeta, Tien-shinhan, Son Gohan, and Trunks, will make their way to special fighting arenas, by way of specially-designed vehicles, to do battle with our galactic warriors!" A brief video, the same one showed during the announcement, showed the four fighters they'd be facing. "Will everyone please make their way to the ferries to Battle Island 2 at this time? And, on behalf of Mr. X. S. Cash and the illustrious Mr. Satan, we thank you for joining us for this exhilarating day of martial showmanship!"

After a brief ferry ride, during which a truly stupendous amount of food was consumed by the Saiyan trio, the four men stood at the centre of a small ring, each with a long tube and ridiculous-looking vehicle that looked like it was taken from an amusement park ride. Humiliating though it was to ride in such a thing, the Prince had deigned lower himself to the standards of ridiculous human traditions, dutifully waiting beside his car like the others as the stadium was filled with spectators. The announcer walked up the stairs, his blonde hair freshly sprayed back and his fancy, black sunglasses glittering from a recent polishing, taking his place on centre stage. Truly, this was a man who loved his job, no matter how ridiculous he sounded.

"Thank you, one and all, for bearing with us as we move to our new stage, Battle Island 2!" he gave the microphone in his hand a theatrical twirl as he spoke. "We've got special cameras in all our battlefields just for this occasion, so you can see every detail of every splendid fight! Will our courageous contestants please enter their cars and prepare for the next round?" the announcer motioned around him with a flourish as Vegeta and the others got into their vehicles. "Are you ready? On your marks...get set...GOOOOOOOO!" as his hand flew up, the cars hurtled down the tunnels.

It was a nauseating ride for the Prince of All Saiyans, certainly adding insult to an already grievous injury to his noble pride. However, he soon landed in what looked to be a sweltering desert. Something was off, there wasn't a hilariously badly-dressed fighter there to greet and "challenge" him. Instead, he was faced with a completely empty expanse of yellow sand. That's when he felt it, an unusually large ki was beneath him, and he moved quickly as a gloved hand sprang forth from the desert sand in an attempt to grab him. By ki alone, Vegeta knew this wasn't any fighter the Earthlings had made, he was far too strong for that.

The man that stood before the Prince was tall, muscular and his skin was of a deep bluish shade. His orange hair was in a wild mohawk, and he had the clothing of a vagabond. Whoever it was wasted no time in charging the Saiyan Prince, who transformed into a Super Saiyan to meet his foe, whose aura radiated with an intense murderous desire. Every blow they traded displayed just how powerful his enemy was: had he met him at the beginning of the Cell Games, he might have easily lost to this strange man. However, he'd not rested on his laurels, he'd prepared for something like this for months. He was ready.

The mystery assailant tried every underhanded trick in the book to gain an advantage against the Saiyan Prince, even stooping so low as to try throwing sand in his eyes to blind him. His foe was clearly realizing that he was outmatched, he hadn't landed a single blow since the fight started. Vegeta switched from his defensive posture, going on the offensive with a lightning-fast punch to the gut, which sent his foe flying backward, his wind well and surely knocked out of him. Vegeta appeared behind his opponent and, not letting him get an opportunity to try another stupid trick, fired off a ki blast that connected a split second later with the blue muscleman's face.

In a desperate attempt to kill him, Vegeta's unknown opponent fired a large ki blast at him, one with enough energy to wipe out the planet four times over. He was through playing around if this bastard was going to throw around world-busting power with reckless abandon. He deflected and dispersed the attack deftly and charged his opponent, transforming into Super Vegeta a moment before they collided. It was over in an instant; his foe, stooping low to try and evade his attack by going underground, had only succeeded in causing the fatal blow to go through his face instead of his chest. As he pulled his fist from what remained of the mystery villain's skull, Vegeta returned to his normal Super Saiyan state. Something told him that he likely wasn't the only one being accosted by the wrong people. Using his sense, he felt out for his son and Kakarot's boy, as well as the triclops. The latter was unconscious, beaten by an energy that nearly matched the one he'd just killed. He felt his son just as he'd delivered the killing blow to his opponent, the latter's energy fading as he died.

That last one left was Kakarot's son. He'd been fighting an opponent far weaker than the one he'd killed, but he was having trouble, probably something to do with some strange magic the assailant was using, wizards had a nasty habit of giving people that could normally wipe out star systems a great deal of trouble. However, they were all converging on another, far larger power. Something about this power frightened Vegeta a little, it was one of unimaginable violence, almost like...no, this energy was different, and the Legendary Saiyan was long dead. The power appeared next to his son and, before he could react, had knocked him out. Vegeta's eyes went wide. He wasn't going to let that happen again, not if he had something to say about it.

Vegeta sped off toward Trunks' location, hoping to save his son's life before the giant power decided to kill or torture him. As he closed in on the location, he spotted Kakarot's son and his foe, a short fellow in a turban, doing battle, the latter subtly drawing the former toward the massive power ahead of him. The triclops and his son lay in what looked to be the square of an abandoned town unconscious, but thankfully still alive. The power ahead was...waiting for something, it hadn't deigned to show itself, yet. He saw the one who'd bested the triclops, a short, blue woman with long, curly, orange hair, charge after Kakarot's son, perhaps attempting to bring whoever she worked for another prize. Vegeta was having none of that. With his father gone, Saiyan tradition stated that the boy was _his_ responsibility as his student, and he'd be damned if he'd let his honour suffer because of his hesitation.

"Gohan, watch out!" he exclaimed as he sped toward the woman, firing a volley of small ki blasts to get her attention. Kakarot's son looked his direction and thanked him before engaging his opponent again.

It was then that Vegeta noticed a huge ki blast screaming toward him. He'd barely had time to register the attack in time to dodge, and he looked at the source of the attack, the source of the massive power he'd been feeling since he'd killed his first opponent. He was a tall, blue-skinned man who looked oddly reminiscent of the one through whose skull Vegeta had shoved his fist, but his hair was far longer and he wore the garb of a space pirate. The other two fighters sped to him and prostrated themselves before him.

"So, you're the other one that managed to kill a member of _my_ gang, _Bojack's_ Gang, are you?" he asked, looking in Vegeta's direction.

"I'm not here to waste time, what do you want?" Vegeta demanded, already growing tired of this "Bojack's" grandstanding attitude.

Bojack laughed at this, replying, "What else? I want your planet, and its been a long time since I've snapped someone's neck."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the large man before him. He was obviously trying to intimidate him, and he'd failed. Vegeta spoke out of the side of his mouth, "Gohan, do you remember what I told you about times like this?"

"I do, Mister Vegeta," the boy replied with a serious nod. "Don't hold back, don't give an inch..."

"Don't give them a chance to breathe," Trunks said, getting to his feet.

The Saiyan Prince smiled, his students had learned their lessons well, it seemed. "Right!" Vegeta called out. "I have the big guy! Gohan, take the woman! Trunks, you take the midget! If one of you finishes first, help the other finish off his opponent. No theatrics, no nonsense. They're here to kill us, so we're here to kill them, got it?!"

"Yes!" his students said as they sped for their opponents.

"Heh, you're smarter than you look," Bojack said with a smile as Vegeta streaked toward him.

A massive shockwave exploded outward as the two warriors, Bojack and Vegeta, clashed. One blow after another, neither showing a clear advantage over the other. Bojack sped away and fired off a massive ki blast toward Vegeta, which the latter deflected away, reducing a nearby building to rubble with a mighty explosion.

"Big Bang Attack!" Vegeta yelled, firing off one of his signature attacks, hoping to slow this Bojack down and give him an edge. Bojack managed to tank the blast, but he'd obviously taken some damage, Vegeta smiled. His opponent was arrogant, and that would be his undoing.

"I'm impressed!" Bojack said as he wiped the blood from a split lip off his face. "Not many people are capable of actually _hurting_ me! For that, I'll show you something special!"

Vegeta felt Bojack's ki skyrocket and surpass his own as he transformed. His skin turned green and his body took on the build of the late, unlamented Broly. _Well, two can play that game, Bojack,_ he thought, channeling his ki into his body, transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan. His students had obviously seen the example he'd set, and followed suit, the lightning from their auras crazed the nearby buildings with numerous cracks. As Vegeta resumed his battle with the transformed Bojack, their blows leveling entire blocks with their intensity, he felt his students trouncing their assigned foes. A few moments later, a Burning Attack and Masenko ended the lives of the short wizard and the woman.

Knowing Vegeta's new strategy worked well in their simulation battles, both Kakarot's son and Trunks flew as quickly as they could to join their mentor and father, respectively, in his battle with the last villain remaining: the powerful Bojack. While Vegeta alone had Bojack on the defensive, the three of them together had the mad monster on the run.

"Cowards! Can't fight me alone, can you?" Bojack called out as he flew away, trying his best to gain some distance from the Saiyans who'd ganged up on him.

"Feh," Vegeta uttered as he pursued his enemy. "Each of us on our own could easily kill you."

Trunks appeared ahead of Bojack, cutting him off. "We just don't give a damn what you think about us, that's all."

"Try not to take it personally." Kakarot's son said as he got on Bojack's left flank.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Bojack screamed in defiance, charging an explosive wave attack to give him some distance from this vicious gang of bloodthirsty Saiyans.

"No, Bojack," Vegeta said. "You're the one that dies today. NOW!"

A Kamehama from Kakarot's son, a Burning Attack from Trunks, and a Final Flash from the Prince of All Saiyans converged on Bojack and hit him on three sides. He'd tried to use his power to push them back, but their power was not to be denied. A moment later, Bojack was disintegrated by a trio of powerful ki attacks.

They all reverted back to normal, their fight finally taking its toll. Vegeta looked at his son and student, they'd done well to remember their training. "Gohan, next time your mother tries to keep you from training with me on the weekends to study, remind her that my training helped you save her and the rest of the world," he said, smiling lightly to take the bite out of his words. "And son, you performed admirably today, and your transformation took less time than before. Both of you have made me proud."

They pinked up a bit at the praise. Each time he did, they trained harder than before and saw better results, so he figured it was for the best. The triclops was conscious, amazed and stunned by how well they'd worked together as a team to leave Bojack little more than a fine powder and sending his soul careening to Hell where it belonged. Together, they made their way back to the stadium. Apparently, the cameras had gone out during their fight with Bojack's toadies, so they'd missed the best parts. Vegeta was a little disappointed by that fact, but he decided it'd be best if he'd kept that one to himself.

The tournament had been canceled after finding out that the "galactic warriors" had been murdered before their debut, so Vegeta never got the chance to see if Mr. Satan's afro was real or just a glued-on wig, but such was life. Things calmed down considerably after that; his son returned home a week after their victory against Bojack's Gang, vowing to use his new strength and experience to protect his timeline. Soon, all was normal on Earth, and a time of peace it greatly deserved fell over it like a warm blanket. Vegeta's children and Kakarot's sons grew; soon, even the youngest would be ready to train in the ways of the warrior, the ways of the Saiyan. Kakarot's son continued his training, partly because of the memory of Bojack's threat to the world, and partly out of a desire to be worthy of his father's name. Earth would soon have even more warriors worthy of protecting her and the man leading the charge was none other than the Prince of All Saiyans, Earth's greatest guardian: a man named Vegeta.

**Author's Notes:**

Hoo-boy, this is a long one! Eight pages, if Open Office is to be believed. First and foremost, I'd like to give a general shout-out to those who favourited, followed, and reviewed my story, both on and on the Dragon Ball Multiverse comments section with special mention going to Bartek and Roketto. I need criticism as well as praise, and every (constructive) bit makes me that much better as a writer. I'm glad people are enjoying this, so far. Please, let me know what you think! What do you like? What do you _not_ like? What do you outright hate or think should be changed? No reasonable idea will go unconsidered, I promise!


	3. An Economy of Force

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Three: An Economy of Force

"No, Gohan, you're doing it again!" The Prince of All Saiyans scolded his student. "You're holding back too much power, you aren't even doing any damage to me!"

Even a year after their victory against Bojack and his little entourage, Gohan still hadn't properly learned to meter his power usage. He kept using too little power in his strikes. That had been made abundantly clear during his fight with the midget wizard: even a regular Super Saiyan should've been able to kill an opponent like that easily, especially one of Gohan's power. However, he'd used too little strength in his strikes, making his battle take far longer than it should have...a mistake that could cost lives, if he weren't careful.

"I'm trying, Mr. Vegeta, but it's hard!" the boy said in a mournful tone. "How am I supposed to know just how much power to use?"

"Feel my ki!" Vegeta admonished. "Measure out how durable that makes my body and _compensate!_ Your punches are worthless if they can't even make a dent in my defenses! Now, try again!"

The boy threw out a punch, connecting square in the middle of Vegeta's chest. It hurt, he'd done a fair amount of damage with his attack, that time. _Good_, he thought, _the boy's finally getting the hang of it_.

"Well done!" The Prince exclaimed. "Again! This time...try my face." he said, bending low with a mocking grin. The boy did well when he felt his opponent wasn't taking him seriously.

"If you say so, Mr. Vegeta..." he replied, hesitantly. A moment later, Vegeta was picking himself up off the ground, nursing a rather large lump, with a wicked-looking bruise, on the right side of his jaw. Even though it hurt, he managed a measure of pride.

"Excellent! Not only did you do damage, that time, but you actually knocked me off balance!" he said. "Remember what we call this?"

"The economy of force, Mr. Vegeta!" the boy replied eagerly.

"Exactly." Vegeta said, rubbing the side of his face. He was going to need an ice pack for this one. "And what does that mean?"

The boy, Kakarot's son, smiled, sensing the fact he'd accomplished something today. "It means that I should hit my opponent enough to hurt him without expending so much power in doing so that I exhaust myself too quickly to end the fight victorious."

"Well, now, I think someone's earned themselves something special," Vegeta told his pupil. "How about we visit that ice cream place you like?"

His student straightened up at that, beaming as he nodded wordlessly. The Prince gave the boy a pat on the back as they walked out into the city. Even though it was a particularly hot summer's day, the streets were packed with people going from one place to another. The mild bedlam bothered him a bit, Vegeta had never been fond of crowds. After a few blocks, they made it to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. The clean, white floors were dotted with small, round tables, each with three or four chairs beside them. There were at least a dozen people inside the cool shop, enjoying their various cold delights.

"Well, sir, what can I do for you and your young friend, today?" the shop owner called out as they moved to the counter. The owner looked at Vegeta's face and remarked, "Oh, my! Sir, are you alright? It looks like you got into quite a scrape!"

"Hmph," Vegeta replied. "I'm fine. My student and I are training for the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"Oh! Well, you two certainly look strong enough for it!" the portly man said with a genial smile. "Now, how may I serve the two of you today?"

A few minutes later, Vegeta and Gohan were seated in the far corner of the shop, enjoying their treats. _This world might be populated by weaklings_, the Prince thought, _but it certainly has a knack for desserts_. His home world might have been good at fighting, but the Saiyan palate was relatively simple, consisting mostly of various kinds of meat and ale. Earth was a veritable heaven, in comparison, with a multitude of tastes to be savoured. Was it any wonder a Saiyan on Earth found himself almost constantly gorging on all the delicious foods this planet had to offer?

The day done, Vegeta and his student said their goodbyes for the time being. The boy would be going back home to study and help care for his baby brother, Goten, much like he was caring for his children. Though there wasn't much they could do now except eat, sleep, and make various messes, they'd soon be ready to understand what it means to be the children of two great warriors. Vegeta looked forward to that day with great anticipation; he wanted to prove to Kakarot that he could be twice the father he was and raise children even stronger than his firstborn had turned out to be.

Two days later, Vegeta felt something very...strange. A ki was nearing the world, one that appeared to be very strong. He couldn't yet sense any intent, it was still too far away, but he prepared to meet this power, nonetheless. Apparently, Gohan had sensed the power, as well, as he'd called Vegeta, worried that there was another being coming to threaten their home. He didn't lie to the boy, he told him quite frankly what they might be up against and to ready himself. The Prince of All Saiyans knew to keep at least a few cards a secret, and told Gohan to remain at home, hiding his power unless he was needed. The boy would be his ace-in-the-hole, if things turned sour.

Thanks to the quick thinking of his wife, he located the ship approaching the planet, and predicted where it'd land: almost exactly where Kakarot's ship had landed when he returned to Earth after his training on Yardrat. Stopping by to give Gohan one of the two-way communication devices Bulma had given him, the Prince flew on, fast as he could, to meet this new visitor, be he friend or foe. When he reached the appointed landing zone, he saw what was coming: a massive, white, disc-shaped ship. It looked eerily reminiscent of the one Frieza's people had used, but there were things about it that were...different, though he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what they were. The gigantic ship, as if sensing his presence, landed just a few dozen meters in front of him, its hatch opening as a menacing smoke billowed out from inside the craft.

At least three dozen armed aliens of various kinds filed out and spread around, encircling Vegeta, likely in an attempt to have him in a crossfire if he'd turned hostile. _Well,_ he thought,_ at least they're trying to be intelligent with this, I suppose_. It was then that Vegeta saw something that nearly made his heart stop. It was one of Frieza's kind, a Frost Daemon, walking out from the hatch from whence the soldiers came. He was taller than King Cold, but had a much more lithe, agile build to him. His skin was a bleached white, just like the others of his kind, but where the others had purple on them, this one had jet black. The Frost Daemon's eyes narrowed, looking at Vegeta; this thing's power washed over him like something out of a bad dream. It was then that the thing spoke in a deep baritone full of cunning.

"Are you the one responsible for ending the line of Cold?" it said, giving no hint as to its feelings on the matter.

"Not personally, no." Vegeta replied evenly. "The one who did isn't here, anymore. Who are you?"

"I? I...am Arctic." he said in a somewhat grandiose tone. "And that is disappointing. I wanted to thank them personally for ending the line of the traitor, Cold."

"What?" was all Vegeta managed to get out, his disbelief getting the better of him.

"Allow me to explain," Arctic said in a chill tone. "Cold was my...brother, my twin. Our grandfather, Glacier, had wanted us to succeed where our father had failed, he'd wanted a universe ruled by our kind, the Frost Daemons."

Before Vegeta could say anything, Arctic put his hand up, silencing the Prince. "We had had our greatest victory yet, we'd conquered a planet with the technology that would allow us to take planets much more quickly and easily. Cold, however, did not want to share the glory. He knew I was stronger and, if it came to a fight, that I'd kill him easily. Instead, the bastard attacked me while I slept, putting me in a suspended state and burying me deep within a rogue planet."

"If that's the case, then how did you get free?" Vegeta asked, finally able to get a word in edgewise.

"Luck, mostly." Arctic said with a flippant gesture. "Along with a few rumours and legends. When Cold's men realized he'd died, they searched for me, eventually finding the signature of the capsule that contained me. The rest, as they say, is history."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. If that were true, then how many other Frost Daemons were out there, just waiting to be drawn to Earth? "I doubt you came all this way just to give someone a history lesson and a pat on the back." he asked, wary of Arctic's motivations.

"Too true," Arctic said, laughing heartily. "I want to ask you...do you want to join me? We scanned this planet, there are few here who are worthy of joining and you're chief amongst them. What if I told you...that you could be the father of a new Saiyan race?"

Vegeta's eyes went wide and Arctic laughed again. "That's right, _King_ Vegeta, we came across a colony of your people, called themselves 'Exiles' or something. It seemed they didn't like us and tried to kick us out. But, after we'd...dealt with them, we realized we'd left one behind, a young female..." Arctic gestured to the door behind him as a guard led out a small Saiyan girl. She had long, straight hair and a hollow look of complete, utter defeat on her otherwise blank features.

"Her? She couldn't be more than fifteen!" Vegeta practically yelled, enraged at the implications that look entailed, not to mention what that bastard had insinuated about him.

Arctic let out another bark of cold laughter, "Too true! The humanoid men on my ship have been...enjoying her, but she'd be of more use to you." he said with a nasty leer.

"Never." Vegeta snarled. "Never in a million _fucking_ years, you disgusting, depraved _bastard!_"

Vegeta acted quickly, pressing twice on the button of the communicator hidden in his pocket as he transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan. He fired a massive ki blast at Arctic, hoping to disintegrate the monster before him quickly. If only he'd been so lucky. He felt Arctic's power skyrocket as the dust cleared. He wasn't kidding, he _was_ powerful; his ki almost eclipsed _his_. Without Gohan, this fight was going to prove to be difficult. Arctic spat on the ground once the dust settled and looked up at the man arrogant enough to attack him. He was strong, sure, but nothing could hold a candle to his true might. He charged him, attacking relentlessly as the Prince was almost immediately put on the defensive.

As if on cue, Gohan arrived, already in his ascended state. "Mr. Vegeta!" he called out, preparing to charge Arctic.

"No!" Vegeta called out between engagements. "They have a young girl with them! Find her, take her to your mother _first_! I'll hold him off until you get back!"

"But-!"

"DO NOT DISOBEY ME, NOW GO!" Vegeta screamed. Now was _not_ the time to be questioning him.

"Yes!" Gohan said, charging the attacking guards. A quick kiai had them on the ground, and he easily found the young girl Vegeta told him about. She cowered in front of him, but looked resigned to whatever fate she'd been assigned.

"Its okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Gohan said gently as the battle raged above him. "I'm going to take you to my mom, she'll take care of you while we make these monsters pay for what they've done to you."

The girl merely nodded in assent, her hopeless look not wavering in the slightest. Sighing in defeat, Gohan picked her up and hurried as fast as he could to his house. Strong as he was, Vegeta was going to need help to defeat a ki _that_ massive.

A surge of relief filled the Prince when he saw Gohan speed off with the girl. If nothing else, she'd be free from the beasts who'd done those horrible things to her. His momentary lack of concentration, unfortunately, had cost him. A hard blow landed on the side of his head, nearly breaking his jaw. He returned it in kind, hitting Arctic as hard as he could in the gut. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do as much damage as he'd hoped; the Frost Daemon simply struck him back harder, knocking the wind out of him. A follow-up attack had him hurtling to the ground headfirst. Vegeta righted himself just a moment before he hit the hard ground beneath him, landing on his feet. He saw Arctic powering up a colossal ki ball, the kind for which Frieza was famous...the kind that killed worlds.

"Oh no you don't!" Vegeta yelled, putting his hands together and pouring as much ki as he could into his attack. "FINAL FLASH!"

The two attacks struck eachother, sending sparks of ki flying as The Prince of All Saiyans fought for supremacy against a foe that was beginning to gain the upper hand. The duel went on for what felt like hours, but the Prince knew he was losing ground, his power draining from him. It was then that he felt another huge ki charging toward them. _The boy's quicker than I thought..._ was all he managed to think as he lost the duel, readying himself for the impact of Arctic's blast, his power almost totally drained.

"No!" Gohan cried out in anguish. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

Vegeta vaguely sensed the attack hitting Arctic a moment before the massive power ball hit him, causing it to dissipate harmlessly. He floated to the ground, reverting back to normal, his power drained, but slowly recovering. It was time to see how good his student had gotten.

"So, little boy," Arctic said with a sadistic glare. "Ready to end your life early, are we?"

"You're the one that's going to die, you monster!" Gohan yelled, charging Arctic.

The battle that followed deeply impressed the Prince. His student learned his lessons well, and he was quick, to boot. His speed gave him a fair leg up against the Frost Daemon, but this battle was going to be a close thing. Blow after blow sent shockwaves into the earth, scattering stone and boulder alike and caused lightning to fly out in brilliant colours. The Prince regained his wind, and waited for an opportune moment to strike, knowing that one wrong move might get himself, and maybe Gohan, killed. The moment came when Gohan sent a Kamehameha flying after Arctic. Vegeta quickly ascended, knowing it wouldn't last him longer than a few minutes at most, and appeared behind Arctic as the latter attempted to move out of the way.

"Remember me?" Vegeta said, raising a hand up and relishing the look of shock on the Frost Daemon's features. "BIG BANG ATTACK!"

Gohan's attack and his own struck their opponent, and they poured their combined might into him. Arctic's body was very durable, but Vegeta felt the beast's ki steadily diminishing. A few moments later, Arctic's ki signature disappeared altogether as his body was reduced to ashes. Panting, Vegeta and Gohan reverted, floating slowly toward the ground, a feeling of mutual, well-earned triumph welling up within them.

"They killed Lord Arctic!"

"You bastards!"

"You'll pay for this!"

Dozens of guards swarmed the two tired warriors in a last, desperate attempt to avenge their fallen lord. Despite their injuries, despite their exhaustion, Vegeta and Gohan handily dispatched those that had accosted them, destroying the men (along with their ship) that had served that monster and tormented a young girl.

"The girl..." Vegeta said, trailing off.

"She's alright, Mr. Vegeta." Gohan assured his mentor. "She's with mom, now. She hasn't spoken, yet, but...Mr. Vegeta, what did they _do_ to her? I've never seen that kind of look on someone's face before, its like there's nothing there."

"Gohan," Vegeta said evenly, trying his best to keep his emotions in check. "That is the look of a person whose been tortured in a very...personal way, and for a very long time. That bastard, Arctic, told me himself that he let his men..." Vegeta spat in anger. "_Enjoy_ her."

"You mean they-?" Gohan stammered out, a look of shock and horror on his face. "How could they? How could a person do something like that?"

"Sick monsters like them," the Prince started, his emotions finally coming under his control. "Don't see others as people, merely as objects for their own enjoyment. They take what they want from others and they feed off the fear and powerlessness they create in others."

"I..." Gohan began, coming up short. "I'm glad she's...that she's away from those men, then."

"As am I," Vegeta replied. "It'll take time, but she'll realize that we're not the same men that hurt her. It will be a difficult road for her, so we'll help her however we can, agreed?"

"Definitely," Gohan said, a steely look in his eyes.

They made their way quickly to Gohan's home, Vegeta bracing himself for the tongue-lashing he was sure to get from Chi Chi for putting her child in danger. Sure enough, the moment they landed, she came rushing to the door, a stormy look on her face. "Vegeta! What on _Earth_ were you thinking?!" She looked at her bruised and battered son, her look growing even more thunderous. "Gohan! What did they do to you?"

"Mom, they-!" Gohan began before being interrupted by his mentor.

"How's the girl?" Vegeta asked, hoping to turn her anger toward more deserving, if deceased, targets.

"The girl?" Chi Chi asked, aghast. "Where in the world did you _find_ her? Vegeta, she looks like she's been to Hell and back!"

"She was with the..._men_," the Prince spat out contemptuously. "That showed up earlier, trying to use her to get me to join their ranks. She's a Saiyan."

"They-?" Chi Chi choked out, the realization hitting her like a tonne of bricks.

"Yes." Vegeta said before calmly explaining what Arctic had said his men had turned that poor girl into.

Chi Chi was in tears, but her face was set in a rictus of fury. "Those...those _monsters_." she choked out, before asking in a shockingly cold voice, "What did you do to them?"

"Your son and I..." Vegeta began, giving a sideways glance to Gohan. "We brought them to justice. They won't hurt anyone else again."

"Good." was all Chi Chi managed to get out before slumping into a nearby chair.

"Where is she?" the Prince asked in a low voice. "I think we need to clear a thing or two up, she might...misunderstand the gesture we've made to her."

"She's in the spare room, Gohan will show you." she said, her voice growing weary from her emotional upheavals. "Just...Vegeta. _Promise me_ that you'll be as gentle as possible as you can be with her. I don't know how much she's able to take right now, and I don't want to find out, either."

"Don't worry," he said. "Gohan and I didn't rescue that girl just to go around and break her ourselves carelessly."

Chi Chi nodded, tired. Gohan led Vegeta to a room just across the hall from his own, and he eased the door open as quietly as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was to frighten the young girl they found sitting on the bed, her eyes fixed on the floor, unmoving.

Gohan spoke first, in a kindly voice, "This is Mr. Vegeta." he began, gesturing toward his mentor. "He, my mother, and I aren't here to hurt you. We...we know what those men did to you. They won't hurt anyone ever again."

She moved her eyes up a fraction, just barely looking at their feet. The sight turned Vegeta's stomach; if those men weren't already dead, he'd be tempted to kill them again. "We want to help you," the Prince said carefully. "I know it might be difficult to believe, right now, but we do. What's your name?" he asked, before adding. "If you don't want to tell us, you don't have to. We won't force you to do anything against your will."

A small voice came out of the young girl's mouth, saying only the word "Sakura."

"Sakura," Gohan began, his tone a mixture of happiness that they finally managed even a single word from her and caution against pushing her too far. "Welcome to Earth. We'll take care of you, we promise. For now...would you like something to eat? Lunch isn't ready, yet, but I could make you a sandwich, if you like."

She looked a scant few millimeters further upward before nodding. A few moments later, Gohan returned with a ham sandwich and a glass of water. Deciding it was best to give her some space, the two left the room, easing the door shut to give the girl some privacy to eat and not feel crowded. Remembering his wife mentioning something about "mind doctors," Vegeta flew off to Capsule Corp after a short rest.

"Vegeta, what happened to you?" his wife asked, looking shocked at his numerous bruises and generally battered appearance.

"I'll be fine, but it was a rough battle. We managed to win, but..." Vegeta paused, searching for the right words to fit what he was thinking. "Do you know any of these 'mind doctors' you spoke of? Personally?"

Bulma looked at him, even more concerned than before. "Why? Was it _that_ bad? Vegeta, _what happened?_"

The Prince of All Saiyans related the story of the battle against Arctic and what had transpired with young Sakura. "I know its horrible of me to say this, but," Bulma began, a hard look in her eyes. "I feel good knowing those..._things_ are in Hell where they belong. But, as for the girl-"

"Sakura," Vegeta insisted.

"Sakura. I _do_ happen to know a psychologist, she be able to help," she continued. "But I think it might be best to wait a day or two, so Sakura doesn't feel put upon. We don't want her running away and making things worse."

"Agreed," Vegeta replied, relieved. "Contact your friend and tell her what happened."

"I will, dear." she said before embracing her husband, her composure finally giving way to the terrible things she'd learned of today. Vegeta wrapped an arm around his crying wife; he could understand how she felt. He had a daughter now, too, and if something like that had happened to _her_...he didn't want to even think about it. For now, he'd comfort his wife, and he'd help make sure that Sakura could at least have a good life going forward, even if he couldn't go back in time and kill the bastards before they'd captured her.

_She might be an Exile_, he thought as he showered. _But, she's still a Saiyan. Still, though, if one Exile colony lived after Frieza killed our people, maybe..._ Vegeta's thoughts trailed off. He never quite knew exactly how much information Frieza had regarding the movements of the Saiyans. After all, he'd missed Kakarot's pod, as well as Broly and Paragus' escape. Even if they were gone, the mere fact that a single colony of Exiles existed was proof that Frieza wasn't as well-informed as he'd put on. They might not appreciate the son of the man that sent them off to die for being "weak-willed" appearing before them, but the possibility that there were more Saiyans out there both emboldened and scared him. Maybe his brother was alive, too. The numerous possibilities swam through the mind of the Prince of All Saiyans as he climbed into bed with his wife. The picture had changed drastically. The big question now was what to do with what he'd learned.

**Author's Notes**

Another chapter bites the dust! This one's a bit later coming out than I'd liked, but I contracted a rather unpleasant little bug a few days ago that left me with little drive to do more than just sit around like a sick lump. Thankfully, though, I'm feeling better and have had some time to mull things over, and RedHunter87, I agree. There's a lot that one can do once off the canon rails. I will try to keep things as coherent as possible, but things are a-changing in the Dragon Ball world, especially where our favourite Prince is concerned.

Vegeta hasn't forgotten the desire to fight one-on-one, but he's also learned not to play around when a threat to the world has shown its face. He made that mistake several times, even going so far as allowing Cell to reach his Perfect form, eventually leading to the death of his son. Thus, he's trying new tactics. Of course, he's going to make mistakes, that's inevitable; this chapter should help those reading it to understand exactly _what_ mistake he made with Bojack. Vegeta, in this chapter, kept Gohan from accompanying him for two reasons:

One, if whoever was coming wasn't hostile, being greeted by two incredibly powerful warriors might be taken as a sign of hostility.

Two, Vegeta's learning the usefulness of surprise against an opponent. Maybe Gohan could've helped make the battle against Arctic easier, but Sakura might have ended up getting hurt, even killed, in the crossfire. Even before she was revealed, it was possible that all it would've led to was him and Gohan both becoming exhausted and ending up getting killed by Arctic. Bringing in a fresh warrior of equal, maybe even _greater_, strength helped re-even the odds after Vegeta wore down Arctic some in their initial skirmish. Dragon Ball's always, to me, been big on the "power of friendship" thing, so I'm running with that a bit, turning Vegeta into somewhat less of a _warrior_ and more of a _soldier_.

Again, thanks for all the feedback! Every bit helps me make this better for you guys. I'm still looking for a beta to help clear things up. My girlfriend's helping where she can, but she's never been big on Dragon Ball. I'll end this here before I start rambling. I'll catch you guys later for the next chapter! Peace!


	4. Wounds of the Heart

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Four: Wounds of the Heart

It had been a long eighteen months for the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta. Between his nearly four year-old son, a 2 year-old daughter, and his training, his days were very full. There was also the matter of young Sakura. The mind doctor had done everything in her power, but it had taken six months before she'd respond to anyone with more than one or two words. Four more months before she'd been able to hold a normal conversation, and it wasn't until a month ago that she'd finally become comfortable enough to start conversing on her own. Yesterday, however, had met with a somewhat unexpected, but welcome, surprise: Sakura ventured from her home with the Son family to see the other man who'd rescued her, Vegeta.

"Mr. Vegeta..." she began sheepishly, still unsure how to address a man she'd come to view as something between a favourite uncle and saviour. "You're really strong. Can you...can you teach me to become strong, too?"

Vegeta was visibly shocked at this. Deep down inside, he'd been expecting it, even somewhat looking forward to it, but he was unsure of whether or not she'd ever work up the courage to ask him. He shouldn't have doubted her. "I can, but it will not be easy," he replied. "You're a Saiyan, so there's little doubt that you have a lot of potential, but the path to power is never a simple one."

"I...I understand," she said, trying to keep her voice even. The man was kind, but firm and a little intimidating. "My...my family told stories about the legendary Super Saiyan, the warrior with incredible power that could bring entire worlds to their knees with his awesome power. That's...that's what you and Mr. Gohan are, aren't you?"

"The Super Saiyan is more than a legend," the Prince of All Saiyans stated in a serious, if gentle, tone. "It is a state any Saiyan can achieve, through the proper training and motivation. We all have a bit of that legend inside us."

She perked up at this, a mixture of shock and disbelief on her face as she processed the implications of his words. "Even me?" she asked in an awed tone.

"Even you." he said, a sudden question coming to his lips. "Why do you want to learn to fight?"

Vegeta's stomach churned a bit as he saw the face of a girl that was barely more than fourteen years-old gain a steely, hard look. "Lor-" she began, quickly correcting herself. "_Arctic_ and his men. They...did things to me. For years. People like that aren't unique. Gohan told me of Arctic's nephew, Frieza." her eyes lit up with rage, her normally soft voice turning into a growl of fury. "They make others suffer. I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! MONSTERS LIKE THAT MUST BE MADE TO PAY!"

The Prince stood astounded, this was the most emotion he'd seen her ever display. What's more, as she spoke, he felt her power surging. Without even realizing it, she'd already learned how to let her ki skyrocket, she already held the secret to the Saiyan's true power in her heart. He walked over to the young girl, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. It wouldn't do to have her wreck a part of his home other than the gravity chamber; Bulma would never forgive him.

He gave her a wan smile, saying, "Calm down, Sakura. I'll teach you."

"You will?" she said, her ki diminishing.

"I will." Vegeta replied evenly. "You have more than enough motivation. However, if you ever feel like its too much, tell me."

"I promise, Mr. Vegeta!" Sakura said happily.

So, Vegeta gained a new student. Kakarot's son and even his friends all came around to help her train, teaching the young girl various techniques and offering guidance where she needed it. Over the next four months, Sakura had proved to be a quick learner. Her ki control needed a fair amount of work, but she was gaining power quickly. She even sparred with Trunks during the last few weeks, as Vegeta brought him in on training shortly after his fourth birthday. Between her martial training and her regular sessions with her therapist, she was coming more into her own. A natural fire began showing itself, the Saiyan's desire to grow ever stronger. The times she stayed overnight, though, had shown just how much work was left. Both Vegeta and Bulma had awoken during the night to her screaming in her sleep as night terrors tore through her dreams like rabid wolves through a fresh kill. They'd had to replace several pieces of furniture in her room when her ki would rage out of control...those were the nights when she'd scream about killing the men who tormented her.

Both of them, and even Trunks a time or two, were there to comfort her after nights like that. Her embarrassment was obvious, but it was also plain that she was grateful to have people there to help her, now. Though they were becoming less frequent as her training went on, the violent nightmares also showcased just how much latent power she had hidden away. She might not have as much raw potential as Gohan, but she was close, and her drive was incredibly strong. Vegeta had even caught her in the training room a time or two after she'd had a nightmare, pushing herself at nearly twice the gravity Vegeta was using during their training sessions.

It was during one such late-night session that Vegeta awoke to the feeling of a gigantic ki. He rushed to the gravity chamber to see Sakura, her long ponytail standing on end as her aura turned gold. Vegeta stood in awe as he felt her power climb, she was doing it all on her own. She understood what she'd needed all along, and she was striving against all the pain she'd suffered to push herself to the absolute limit. As her yells reached a fever pitch, the Prince of All Saiyans felt the young girl's power peak and watched, his mouth agape, as her hair turned gold and her eyes changed colour.

"Vegeta! What's going on?" he heard from behind him, in a worried tone. It was Bulma. She'd been awakened by the violent shaking he was now feeling in the floor.

"See for yourself," he said, pointing at the monitor.

"Is that S-Sakura? I-I-Is she a-?" Bulma stammered out, awestruck by what she was witnessing. "Is she a Super Saiyan?!"

"She is," Vegeta said, a proud smile on his face. "She's definitely earned it. Do you see how high she has the gravity set?"

Bulma looked confused, then started as she saw the indicator on the bottom left of the screen. "She's working at 1,000 times Earth's gravity?!"

Vegeta nodded. "Those nights she can't sleep, she ends up training in here. We're only up to 400 times, but when she's here alone..." his voice trailed off for a moment, still a tad dumbstruck at how far his student was pushing herself. "She sets the gravity much higher than what we train at."

The duo watched the young girl on the monitor as she continued her training, seeing how far she could push her Super Saiyan state. The look of satisfaction on her face as she threw a lightning fast punch filled Vegeta with a warm glow inside. That morning, Bulma prepared a breakfast of truly epic proportions in celebration of Sakura's accomplishment. She was a bit sheepish at being caught out, but the small, happy smile on her face belied her true feelings. They weren't angry at her for training alone, her mentor wasn't mad for achieving the form outside their training. Quite the opposite, it was almost as if he regarded her as an equal now and the pride on his face warmed her heart. Little Trunks' astonishment at the news brought another smile to her face, which redoubled when he vowed to be just as strong as she was, one day.

Her achievement also had another positive side-effect: Sakura's self-confidence increased dramatically. However, Vegeta quickly noticed an issue when she was in her Super Saiyan state, she had trouble controlling the vicious feelings that the state brought to surface. He'd suffered more split lips and bruises, even the occasional broken rib, in the first week of training her in her new form than he'd had in the first six months of training with Gohan. Yes, she was definitely powerful, but she was still a work in progress, that much was obvious. However, even her Super Saiyan viciousness disappeared when she sparred with Trunks, she obviously had a soft spot for the boy that no amount of pain could overtake.

His son was also coming into his own as a warrior at a rather astounding rate. He was still a child, and had a tendency to horse around during training, but he was far, far stronger than Vegeta had been at his age. Trunks treated Sakura like an older sister, alternating between cajoling her when they sparred and admiring the haunted older girl's drive to become as strong as she possibly could. The Prince of All Saiyans, however, had a hidden reason for stoking the girl's natural Saiyan fire. In her eyes, he saw the many victims of his time as a slave to Frieza and his own arrogant selfishness. He saw the people he'd wronged, the planets he'd destroy, the lives he'd helped maim, and it hurt. In one little girl, he saw the repercussions his dark past, and an ember of shame burned within his soul.

That shame, however, turned into an even stronger drive to better himself. Though he may never be able to right all the wrongs he'd done, he could at least atone for some of his sins by working to better himself as a person, and keeping the planet he called home safe. He swore to do his victims' memories justice and become the best man he could possibly become. The girl may never know, but she, too, had helped save the soul of a man who'd once been nearly as much of a monster as the man who'd enslaved her.

She even _looked_ better. When they'd rescued her, she looked like a stiff wind would break her bones. Her wasted frame and sallow skin seemed, in a horrible way, to compliment the tattered rags she'd been wearing, rags that had a stale, yet heady reek to them. No longer was she covered in a thin, yet stubborn layer of dirt. Her ragged nails were cleaned and trimmed, and her hair looked freshly washed and cared-for. As they trained, Vegeta ruminated over the changes his charge had undergone, and he was pleased with her progress. Sakura was looking less like a soulless husk and more like a proper young woman, albeit a somewhat grim-faced young woman. It was amazing what two years, a good diet, and therapy could do for a person. Even though she was still obviously recovering, she was a far cry from the mute, hollow shell she'd once been.

"I think that's enough for today," the Prince said, holding a hand up and panting a little.

"Aww, but daaaaaaaad!" Trunks cried out plaintively.

"No buts, young man," Vegeta said sternly. "You're out of breath and you look like you've been hit by a train. The same goes for you, Sakura." he said, nodding toward the girl as she steadied her breathing. "You've both done well, today, though. Trunks, why don't you go ahead of us and clean off? I need a moment to speak with Sakura."

Sensing that his father wouldn't put up with any pouting, Trunks glumly walked off in search of his bathroom so he could clean off before dinner.

Sakura looked up at her mentor with a questioning look on her face. "What did you want to talk to me about, Mr. Vegeta?" she asked.

Vegeta walked over to the young woman and said, "I know you've heard this before, but you need to work harder on keeping your anger in check when you're transformed."

She looked downcast at this, replying in a small voice, "I know, Mr. Vegeta, but its hard. Part of me remembers what I went through and I just..." she trailed off.

"I know," the Saiyan Prince said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder to reassure his student. "I know it still hurts, Sakura. That hurt is useful, but you're letting it own you. Your pain is _yours_ to use, not the other way around. The better you are at mastering your pain, the less likely you are to make a mistake when using it as your weapon."

Sakura looked up at her mentor, respect and understanding in her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Vegeta," she said. "I'll keep working on it, I promise."

Vegeta let out a short laugh. "Hmph, of that, I have little doubt." he replied, easing both of them past a somewhat sensitive topic. "We should both get cleaned up, I suppose. Bulma hates it when we come to dinner reeking of sweat."

Sakura giggled a bit at that. It was a small thing, but it was good to hear her acting more like a normal girl her age. After a massive dinner, the Briefs family bade farewell to Sakura as she flew off toward the Son household. Vegeta knew Chi Chi would be a little put out that Sakura had eaten there instead of at her new home, but he knew that, in the end, it was a good thing, a gesture that helped prove to the pained young woman that she was welcome in the homes of _both_ her saviours.

After some work, mostly involving maths that the Prince knew was one of his wife's many strongsuits, they'd managed to pin down Sakura's birthday on the Earth calendar and, to their surprise, it was on 12 May, or just over ten weeks. Though fifteen wasn't a landmark birthday in either Earth or Saiyan culture, they both understood that the date held special significance in and of itself as it'd be the girl's first birthday celebration since being freed from Arctic; they hadn't celebrated the last one due to many factors, not the least of which being the girl's own lack of readiness for such a thing. However, when they'd asked her if she'd like anything for her birthday, she broke down in tears.

"If its too much-" Bulma began apologetically, thinking she'd accidentally dredged up unpleasant memories from the girl's past.

"Its not that, Mrs. Briefs," Sakura said, a smile creeping up on her face. "Its just...this is the first time I've had a birthday I've _wanted_ to celebrate since...since my parents..."

Bulma drew the sobbing girl into her arms and Vegeta placed a hand on her shoulder. "You won't insult us by saying no, Sakura," he said in a quiet voice.

"I want it!" she said after a few moments, attempting to gather herself. "I just...don't know what I want, is all. I haven't given it any thought in...years..."

"We'll take care of it, dear," Bulma said in a comforting tone. "Just tell us some of the things you like, and who you'd want to be there, and Vegeta and I will handle the rest. Won't we, darling?" the last bit was said with a furtive glance toward her husband.

"We will, you have my word," Vegeta said simply.

The party that followed was a happy affair at the Briefs home. Kakarot's family and friends were there, even the normally stoic Piccolo had a small smile on his face the entire time. Chi Chi had given the girl a set a flowery dresses like her own, saying that every girl should have a nice dress to wear around the house. Dende gave her a small jade statue carved in the shape of the Eternal Dragon. Gohan gave her a weighted training gi; a simple, purple garb with white underclothes. Knowing the girl admired Bulma and her intellect, the Briefs family built her a portable study tablet with subjects ranging from writing to quantum dynamics. Between the food, friends, and gifts, the young woman was smiling broadly and teary-eyed, elated to find that she'd met so many nice people...people that not only rescued her, but had gradually taught her what it was to truly live.

Vegeta reflected as the festivities died down, the last party-goers excusing themselves so they could return home. In this young woman, in Sakura, he saw the visage of all the victims he'd had during his younger days. All the pain and suffering he'd caused in others were reflected brutally by her vicious nightmares. But, after the past few weeks, he'd also seen how people can heal, and how he could better himself further, by helping in that process. He might not be able to do anything for those he'd killed, but he could aid this girl and ensure that she became as strong as she could be. Maybe, if they were lucky, she'd pass along the kindness she'd been given to others, and they'd do the same. After all, what's the point in being able to save an entire planet if you aren't willing to do the same for a single girl?

**Author's Notes**

Annnnnd, here's chapter four, peoples! Again, mea culpa for this taking longer than the others. This week and part of next are finals week for me, so I've got some preparations that need to take place so I don't bomb my last, and likely most important, tests. I'm also planning a small vacation before summer classes begin to visit my family, so my writing might be slowed down for the next few weeks until things quiet down. However, this story ain't gonna die, I promise you that. Real life can be a damned inconvenience, no?

Once more, a big thank you goes out to all the people who've viewed, favourited, followed, and reviewed my story thus far. Few things are more satisfying than knowing that your work is enjoyed by others. Also, a special shout-out goes to Coola Than You of the Dragon Ball Multiverse comments section for offering to do some artwork pro bono for my story! I honestly can't put into words how bowled over that has me still. You guys are the best! Hagunemnon out!


	5. To Move Forward

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Five: To Move Forward

It had been a frustrating six months for the Prince of All Saiyans. Though his power was gaining, it felt as though he was nearing a plateau. Even with three powerful Saiyans to train with, it was taking all he had just to see a small increase in power. Sakura and Trunks were improving by leaps and bounds and Gohan was gaining steadily in both strength in skill. He, however, was at an impasse. Was there truly an upper bound on the power of an ascended Saiyan? Was there something potentially beyond that, something he was missing? These questions were causing him no end of misery as his attempts at improving like he had been for the past four years had all been largely futile. Any Saiyan would be proud of attaining even half the power and know-how he possessed, but it wasn't enough. He knew Kakarot was getting stronger every day, even while dead. Not even losing their lives was enough to quench the natural fire of a Saiyan, especially one that burned as brightly as Kakarot's, Vegeta groused to himself as he ruminated over his training schedule.

No, there was no end to his power, he was just missing a detail, somewhere...some small something that would enable him to improve even further. That was enough to keep him going as his retarded progress nearly drove him mad. The invitation he'd received for Gohan's 16th birthday party was a welcome distraction from his mounting frustration. As he stood in the shade of a tree on the far side of the main festivities at the Son household, he reflected on how much the boy had grown in the past few years. Gone was the small, bookish, unassuming boy with the messy hair. In his place, after a particularly jarring growth spurt, was a young man that was almost as tall as his father. While he still exuded an air of scholarly intellect, there was a distinct undercurrent of confidence in his personality, now. Truly, the boy had become a man.

As was Saiyan tradition, Vegeta gave Gohan a set of Saiyan's armour emblazoned on the left breastplate with the symbol of Vegeta's unit, marking his passage into adulthood. After a quick explanation, Gohan accepted the gift graciously, honoured that Vegeta considered him one of his own.

Piccolo approached the Prince while the others ate and drank. "You've made a great impression on him," he remarked, not one to waste words.

"He _is_ my student, I'd be worried if I hadn't made a mark," Vegeta replied simply.

"Its more than his strength," the normally quiet Namekian continued. "He's more sure of himself, he's less scared."

"Hmph," the Prince said, gathering his thoughts. "As powerful as he is, he has little to fear. He's earned some measure of confidence, he's worked hard for it."

"I still can't believe _you_ were the one to help him come into his own," Piccolo said in a low voice. "I always thought of him as something like a son. I can't help but be a little jealous of you."

"I...owe it to the boy," Vegeta began before stammering slightly to correct himself. "The _man_. He's helped me a lot."

"He does that a lot, doesn't he?" Piccolo said with a small smile.

"He wants to help people, just like his father." Vegeta laughed a little. "But with a lot more than just his fists. He told me how you were before you fought Nappa and I, when you were fighting his father."

Piccolo looked somewhat alarmed at this admission, but not entirely surprised. "I won't make excuses for what I did."

"Neither will I," the Prince of All Saiyans replied. "But, you're different now than you were then, better."

"I guess I owe that to Gohan," the Namekian said with a note of wistfulness to his voice. "Originally, I just saw him as a way to get back at Goku. Train him, turn him against his father, break the man's will, and defeat him to avenge my father's death at his hands. But," he paused for a moment, his voice breaking a little, "As I worked with the kid, I actually started to care about him. I wanted him to be safe, to be strong. I wanted him to more than a tool. In a way, just being around him showed me a side of myself I never thought existed."

Piccolo turned his head to see a peculiar sight: Vegeta deep in thought, reflecting. Initially, it perplexed him, but he soon realized that he'd struck a chord somewhere in the Prince's mind. It was interesting, in a way, to see the gears grinding away in the man's head, realization slowly creeping up on to his features.

"That sounds," the Prince began slowly. "Familiar."

"How so?"

"When I first invited Gohan to train with me," he said, frowning. "I mostly wanted him around because he was the only one I could possibly consider an equal in power. But, the boy grew on me pretty quickly. I actually looked forward to training with him. In time, he was like a second son. I started caring more about his growing as a person instead of as a tool for making me stronger than Kakarot."

"He's saving us all one by one, isn't he?" Piccolo said with a happy smile.

"Indeed," Vegeta said, looking thoughtful. "He should be one of those mind doctors whenever he gets done with the absurd amount of schooling his mother is putting him through."

The rest of the party went along as quietly as could be achieved between the bald human's horrid attempts at singing a song about puppies again and watching Kakarot's master's inebriated antics. The triclops arrived shortly after the Prince's illuminating conversation with Piccolo, and the three of them seemed to have their own quiet party, avoiding the occasionally annoying habits of some of Kakarot's other friends. Cyborg 18 had even joined them for a while, wishing for some peace and quiet before her toddler daughter had fell down, scraped her knee, and started crying. Indeed, it was times like these that gave Vegeta all the reason he needed to fight as hard as he could when danger showed itself.

Two quiet, peaceful years passed. Bulma, seeing how many warriors were now training at her home, decided to build an entire wing in the sub-basement of Capsule Corp large enough to accommodate a dozen fighters and with gravity controls that could exceed 50,000 times Earth's gravity. With both the Briefs and Son family, as well as Sakura who was an unofficial member of _both_ families, spending at least three days a week training, it was only prudent. Vegeta was glad for his student, Gohan, when he heard he'd made it into Orange Star High School to finish up his education. Though he spent a lot of time around his family and friends, the Prince understood the importance of spending time with people his own age.

It was then that he'd gotten a dual shock to the system. Gohan had taken on a student: none other than the daughter of Mr. Satan himself, Videl. Apparently, she'd talked Gohan into teaching her how to fly, but Vegeta doubted it'd stop with _just_ that; the few times he'd seen the girl, he'd noticed how driven she was. The second surprise, however, had nearly given the Prince of All Saiyans a heart attack: Kakarot was returning to the world of the living for one day to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament, next year. Vegeta was anxious about seeing his old rival again...on one hand, he desperately wanted to see how powerful Kakarot had become, on the other, his slowed progress might mean that Kakarot had become stronger than him again.

In the end, the Prince resolved that it didn't matter, either way. If Kakarot was stronger than he was, perhaps that would be the kick he'd need to reach new heights of his own. However, if he was equal to or, better yet, _superior_ to Kakarot, he'd feel even better about himself and that security might, again, be what he needed to speed up his gains again. Besides, he had more important matters to attend to: his wife would be celebrating her birthday again and, like all other years before then, she'd decided to hold an extravagant party. This year, it'd be featuring a lottery whose top prize would be any two wishes from Shenron that the winner desired. This, of course, meant that there would be a quest to find the Dragon Balls. His and Kakarot's children, as well as Videl, had taken it upon themselves to retrieve the mystical orbs, so he'd decided to take it easy and relax today as the crew Bulma had hired worked to set everything up properly.

It was then that Vegeta felt a horribly familiar power. Just feeling it again made him sick to his stomach, as that power could have come from only one being in the entire universe: the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly. Sakura noticed the mass of murderous ki, as well, her head springing up from her book. The blood couldn't have drained from her face faster if she'd had her throat cut, and the same could likely be said of the Prince...he didn't have any good memories of that particular battle. Extending his senses, Vegeta felt the presence of Gohan, Goten, Videl, and his children in close proximity to the horrific power, likely in the midst of a heated battle.

Vegeta sprang to his feet in a flash and, with nary a word between them, set out with Sakura at a breakneck pace, knowing that wasting any time could well mean the death of his friend...not to mention _his_ children. Minutes felt like hours as the two Saiyans raced to the scene, their near-panic driving their flight to blistering speeds. The battlefield was in a bitterly cold part of the world, just north of a small village. The Prince and Sakura hovered, horrified at what they saw. Videl was on the ground, unconscious, but thankfully not dead, with Goten and Bra nearby in a similarly bad way. Trunks and Gohan were fighting the towering giant with all they had, but their progress in wearing him down had been, at best, minimal.

The pair sped apart, attempting to flank the Legendary Super Saiyan and hoping to bring a much-needed advantage to an already desperate struggle. Vegeta transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan and sent a blow crashing into the side of Broly's head with a deafening sound, knocking the Legend away a few meters.

Broly leered at Vegeta with a nasty grin, saying, "So, the Little Prince has finally come to try and put me in my place again. And what's this?" he continued, an evil smile on his face as he looked at Sakura. "Another little insect come from the woodwork? You maggots are numerous. WHERE IS KAKAROT?"

"Kakarot is dead," Vegeta said simply. "You'll just have to die to us, this time."

"You're gonna pay for beating up Goten!" his son yelled. Trunks viewed the boy almost as a younger brother and easily struck up a friendship with him, one that did him no small amount of good.

Trunks angrily fired a volley of powerful ki blasts. Normally, Vegeta would tell his son not to use so much power, but in this case, it was more than warranted; their foe was unnaturally powerful and obscenely durable. As they fought, their blasts and blows barely even deterring their enemy, the Prince remembered that it'd taken three Super Saiyans and Piccolo giving their power to Kakarot to defeat this beast, last time, and the Legend's power had only grown since then. As he charged Broly to strike him, Vegeta was interrupted by a triangular beam of ki hitting Broly square in the back, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Another attack, one Vegeta recognized immediately raced toward the Legendary Super Saiyan, striking him hard in the side: it was Piccolo's Makankosappo.

Tien was the first to arrive, saying in his typically reserved tone, "Hope you guys don't mind if we join in."

"Thank you," replied Sakura, who was breathing heavily.

"We need all the help we can get," the Prince of All Saiyans added. If Tien and Piccolo were surprised by this admission, they chose not to show it.

The dust cleared, and before Earth's Finest stood the towering form of Broly, only marginally bloodied by the earlier skirmishes. "Even more vermin," the Legend remarked, laughing. "Send all the bugs you want, I'll crush them one by one."

In a flash, Broly was on the move, streaking toward the bloodied Trunks with a look of murderous glee on his face. Gohan managed to just barely intercept him, kicking Broly in the side of the head as hard as he could. That, unfortunately, turned out to be a grave mistake. Broly grabbed Gohan's leg and, before any of the others could react, pulled him quickly toward him as his fist crashed into the young man's rib cage with a sickening crack and throwing him aside like refuse.

"Bastard," was the only word to come from Piccolo's mouth as he charged the Legend. Tien caught Gohan before he crashed into the hard, packed ice below and laid his unconscious form beside his brother, Bra, and Videl. It only took a moment for the others to follow suit, enraged. The Prince threw a punch for the bastard's stomach, but Broly managed to grab his hand before he connected, tossing him away as he battled his son and Piccolo. As he righted himself, Vegeta noticed something odd: Sakura wasn't as furiously enraged as the others. No, the look on her face was cold, calculating, and frighteningly hateful.

As the three other warriors engaged the mountain of a Saiyan before them, Sakura readied an attack she'd been developing for the past few weeks. Cold hate filled her heart, Gohan was as dear to her as a brother, and that monster had nearly killed him. She molded the ki in her right hand into a near-solid mass, its incredible heat contrasting with the ice growing in her heart. Sakura saw an opening and, knowing it would only last a moment, she drew her right arm up at an angle...

"THERMAL LANCE!" Vegeta heard the young woman behind them yell. Instinctively, the Prince moved aside, thankful for his quick reaction as he felt the blazing hot spear of ki speed past him. Broly was moving out of the way, but it was too late to stop the attack from landing. Almost in slow motion, Vegeta saw the almost tangible, meter-long sliver of ki slam into Broly's left shoulder...and exit a moment later, leaving behind a gaping, smoking hole of cauterized flesh. For the first time since the battle had begun, the Prince heard the Legendary Super Saiyan let out a cry of genuine pain and rage.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, GIRL!" Broly screamed, charging Sakura.

"I'm going to rip you apart," she replied in a voice as chill as the grave. It was then that Vegeta noticed something that had only happened a handful of times before: Sakura ascended. Soon after, he remembered why it was so rare. In that form, she became even more vicious than Gohan had become when he fought Cell. Before he could tell her to stop, Vegeta saw the Legendary Super Saiyan send his meaty fist at the girl's head, only to have it pass clean through as the afterimage wavered, leaving behind a fine, shining smoke.

Vegeta knew, then, what she was doing, it was another attack the creative young woman had invented: Diamond Shard Rain. A million shining, silver bits of ki sliced their way into Broly's flesh, leaving him bleeding and fuming even harder than he had been before. Then, the Legend's skin started to glow, a startled look taking its place on his face a scant few moments before his skin erupted in a million small explosions.

As the smoke cleared a bleeding, screaming Broly charged toward Sakura again, once again vowing that he'd destroy her. Vegeta, noticing an opening in the otherwise nigh-impenetrable defenses of Broly, took that opportunity to send a Big Bang Attack streaking toward him while he sped around to the other side. Broly managed to knock the Prince away with a hard blow to the head, but not before being struck by the attack he'd launched.

Landing hard on the ground, Vegeta saw Broly fly high into the sky, a look of disturbing, blank calm on his face. Seeing the green ki flowing into the Legendary Super Saiyan's hand, Vegeta knew exactly what he'd decided to do: he was going to kill this world, and them along with it. Broly fired the massive ki blast toward the Earth. As if in slow motion, Vegeta, Piccolo, Trunks, Sakura, and Tien moved to intercept the blast. When they made it to the area the attack would hit, they all poured their power into five large ki waves, hoping desperately to keep the monster from destroying their world. Battered though he was, Broly poured an insane amount of ki into the attack, easily putting them on the defensive. It was then that a sight for sore eyes appeared: Gohan and Goten had awoken, transformed, and were now pouring what power they had into the combined struggle for survival.

As the desperate fight continued, Vegeta felt something within him stirring and his power began to increase, against all logic. Elated at this sudden change, and ignoring the startled looks from his comrades, the Prince poured every ounce of his extra power into the ki beam, finally giving them the edge they needed to push Broly's attack back away from the planet. Meter by meter, the Legendary Super Saiyan's attack was forced back on to him, his concentration not allowing him to move in time to get away. As they kept pushing, Earth's Finest felt the Legend's power fade and, eventually, disappear altogether. Broly, at long last, was well and truly dead.

As they all reverted and relaxed, Gohan gave the Prince a slightly worried look, saying as he tried to catch his breath, "Mr. Vegeta, what was happening with you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Vegeta replied, honestly.

"Your power was starting to rise and," the young man said before taking a few steadying breaths. "Your hair was starting to grow longer."

"I did feel like I was getting stronger, but..." the Prince had come up short. Not even _he_ understood what had happened. It was like a dam inside him had begun to break down, his frantic call to his body for more power weakening its ability to resist him in his time of dire need. In a flash, it hit him, like being run over by a freight train full of brick walls.

"I know..." he began, searching for the words to describe what he'd just uncovered.

"Know what?" Gohan asked, a look of confusion growing on his face.

"There's a level beyond an ascended Super Saiyan," the Prince said simply. It was the only way what had happened made any sense. "I didn't reach it, but now I know its there, so its only a matter of time and training."

The Saiyans looked thoughtful at this as the implications of Vegeta's words sank in. Vegeta hurried over to his children. Trunks had Bra propped up, partially awake, in his arms as happy tears streamed down his face. Vegeta was on the verge of mimicking his son when, in a flash, his little girl had her face buried in his chest, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, daddy!" Bra wailed. "He was just so strong!"

The Prince of All Saiyans shushed his daughter gently, telling her that she'd done nothing wrong, and that he was proud of both her and Trunks for standing their ground. As he held on to his children, Vegeta saw his student, Gohan, unashamedly crying as he held a conscious Videl, who had a look of both confusion, embarrassment, and happiness on her face. It then dawned on him that Gohan loved the girl to whom he was so desperately clinging. It warmed Vegeta's heart to see that it was mutual between them; Gohan could do a _lot_ worse than her.

Bulma was shocked to learn what had happened, but she was quite obviously glad that everyone was okay. Vegeta smiled as he heard his wife say that she wished she could beat Broly to within an inch of his life for hurting her children; even if she wasn't physically intimidating, having a protective wife wasn't a bad thing. The party a few days later was a welcome balm after a hard-won battle. As he unwound, the Prince of All Saiyans reflected on what had happened. He'd finally found a way to move forward, incontrovertible proof that he was only _beginning_ to tap into his full potential. That revelation buoyed his spirit. As he walked toward the festivities, Vegeta wondered quietly what Kakarot was doing right now.

**Author's Notes**

Geez, guys, I'm sorry for this taking as long as it did. Dealing with a thousand mile trip to see my family, a bout of food poisoning, _another_ thousand mile trip _back home_, getting prepared for summer classes, and honest-to-goodness writers' block has really perturbed me. I had a difficult time figuring out what to do after the whole "Vegeta's having a hard time getting stronger" thing. On one hand, another party might be a bit much after last chapter, but on the other, it was a good opportunity for some exposition, so I figured I'd err on the side of explaining things a little.

For those who are wondering, no, Vegeta didn't go full-on Super Saiyan 3 against Broly. He had the need in spades, but neither the time nor the stamina. As it stands, he got kinda halfway between the two, enough to clue him into the fact that SSJ3 exists. Also, no, I am not going to do Bio Broly. Sorry, but that was easily the weakest out of the three Broly movies and, spoiler alert, it ended with the badass Broly losing to two children and _Krillin_. I'm sorry, but getting served by Krillin is just sad, and I can't do that to Broly.

Next stop is the beginning of the Buu Arc! Goku's gonna come back, gears may grind, and shit may well hit the fan. I'll catch you guys next time in The Prince Ascendant, Chapter Six: _The Return of Kakarot_!


	6. The Return of Kakarot

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Six: The Return of Kakarot

A year had passed since the fateful battle with the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly. A year since Vegeta discovered that there were depths to the Super Saiyan state he'd had yet to plumb. It was the most frantic year of his life; between trying to reach this new state, which he'd dubbed Super Saiyan 3, and knowing that his eternal rival, Kakarot, would be returning, albeit temporarily, the Prince of All Saiyans was training as many hours as he possibly could, working every angle for every scrap of power he could gain.

It was now two weeks before the Tournament, and Vegeta was hard at work, burning the midnight oil in an attempt to finally break the surly bonds of the ascended Super Saiyan state and reach heretofore unknown heights of Saiyan might. He concentrated, hard, on the desperation he felt during the battle with Broly, screaming at his body to give him everything it could and then some. Peripherally, he was aware that the ground was starting to shake violently, but he wouldn't let such minor things distract him...he was close, he could feel it. It was a lesson Kakarot had taught his son, according to Gohan, during their training for the Cell Games: _the power comes in response to a need, not a desire, you have to create that need!_

The Prince _needed_ this power, he needed it to be stronger than Kakarot, he needed it to better himself, he _needed it_ to protect the people he loved. Thinking about Frieza's cold-blooded murder of his people, about the vile things his uncle, Arctic, had perpetrated, it all drove home the need to become yet more able. The wall surrounding this new power was beginning to break down, he could sense it. Raw ki was starting to flood his body and it felt as if every cell inside him was beyond capacity, full near to bursting with a raging energy. The ground beneath him buckled, electricity began sparking around him wildly, and every inch of his body was screaming in protest against what he was attempting to do.

Then, the dam finally broke. The first sensation the Prince experienced in this new state was one of immense relief, as if some horrific pressure had been removed from his body. His senses finally started awakening enough to where he could make out his wife and children, silhouetted against the light from the entryway into the training room. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that they were all completely awestruck, utterly gobsmacked at what their husband and father had achieved. He smirked, appearing before the floor-length mirror next to where his family stood. His hair had grown down his back in wild, long strands and, most absurdly of all, his eyebrows had apparently decided to take their leave of his face.

"Hmph," the Prince said, observing his new form, feeling its power. "This Super Saiyan 3 might look strange, but it feels amazing."

"Way to go, dad!" Trunks cried out, an amazed smile on his face.

"Daddy, you're so strong!" Bra said in an awed tone.

Bulma just laughed. "You look _utterly_ ridiculous," was all she said.

Vegeta was about to make a pithy rejoinder before the exhaustion caught up with him. He only had enough energy for a short laugh before everything went black as he passed out. The next thing the Prince of All Saiyans knew, he was lying in bed, still tired from his earlier breakthrough. What he learned next, however, had driven home the point that he needed to take care with this form: Bulma informed him that he'd been out for nearly 36 hours. The new state had really put his body through the wringer, but it was enough to know that he'd done it. He may yet have a leg up on Kakarot, and better still, he had a new tool in his arsenal.

Alas, the Prince didn't have much opportunity to practice the new form, it simply took too much out of him. While the other two times he'd gone to that level hadn't knocked him out for the better part of a day and a half, they still left him feeling like he'd been hit full-on by a speeding comet. He surmised that this was because there was simply too much ki for his body to maintain for anything beyond a few minutes, but more training seemed to be extending the time he could last in the form, so he wasn't stuck with a useless transformation. Either way, Vegeta had spent the last day before the Tournament resting so he could be at his fullest when Kakarot returned, and for when they'd eventually face off, during the Tournament or after its conclusion. He wanted nothing holding him back, _especially_ not fatigue because he'd been too stupid to give himself a break.

The morning of the Tournament, the Prince of All Saiyans dressed himself in his standard training attire: a simple, blue, one-piece gi with boots and gloves. He gathered with the rest of his family and steeled himself as Bulma drove them to the Tournament stadium. This was it. In a few short minutes, he'd be face-to-face with Kakarot, once more. His heart beat a steady, quick rhythm in his chest as his anxiety built. Vegeta took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves and calm himself as he stepped out of the car and began making his way, family in tow, through the crowd that had gathered. The first thing he made out was Gohan's head covering; he'd apparently decided to go as his ridiculous Saiyaman persona.

"Hey, Vegeta, over here!" Gohan called, waving as the Briefs family drew closer.

The Prince scanned the entourage that was with the Son family when he arrived. Piccolo was there, as were Tien, Krillin, and Cyborg 18. Sakura was also there, in her training gi, and that was when Vegeta caught sight of something that gave him a healthy shock: Cyborg 17.

"I thought you were eaten by Cell," Vegeta remarked, fully aware of the fact he was quite obviously staring at the black-haired young man.

"I was," Cyborg 17 began in his usual, overly casual manner. "But it seems that whatever you asked the dragon to do brought me back, too. Just as well, being dead sucked."

"17 here is a park ranger, now," Krillin said, giving the Cyborg a friendly rap on the knee. "But decided to take a day off and join us for the Tournament!"

It was then that the Prince heard a whooshing sound to his right, and a familiar voice calling out, "Hey, guys! I'm back!"

A moment of stunned silence was broken by a wall of sound as Kakarot's family rushed to him, embracing him with all they had as tears ran down their faces. It'd been a long seven years, and even Vegeta was happy to see his rival back, even though, as Baba had informed them, he was only going to be here for 24 hours. A single tear went down the Prince's face while he watched as Goten was introduced to his father for the first time in his life. For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world had sorely missed Kakarot, and was overjoyed at his return...an assessment that might not be far off, were they ever to become aware of just how many times the man had saved them from either being conquered or outright destroyed.

"There's a lot of new faces around here!" Kakarot exclaimed happily before turning to Sakura, holding out his hand. "What's your name?"

Sakura's eyes went wide and shook his hand, saying, "S-Sakura, sir!"

"No need to be so formal!" Kakarot said, wagging a finger at her comically. "Just call me Goku."

Sakura simply nodded her head, smiling. This odd man was Gohan's father, and, if he were to be believed, the only man that could rival Mr. Vegeta and yet, he was so calm, so carefree. It was refreshing as it was jarring.

Kakarot turned to the Prince of All Saiyans, a broad smile on his face. "Wow, Vegeta, you've gotten really strong!" he said approvingly before giving Vegeta a more serious look. "Thank you for saving my son, back then. I can't tell you how much it means to me."

"No thanks necessary, Kakarot," Vegeta replied. "He saved me, as well."

Kakarot looked as if he were about to say something when a small hand tugged at his trousers. Looking down, he noticed a little girl that looked the world like a miniature Bulma. "Are you _really_ as strong as my daddy?" she asked.

"Vegeta...?" Kakarot began, a look of confusion on his face.

"Bra," Vegeta said, a hint of fatherly warning in his voice. "A Princess isn't supposed to be rude. Introduce yourself, first."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kakarot, sir." Bra said, bowing in apology. "My name is Bra. Its a pleasure to meet you."

"That's better," the Prince said as he gave his daughter a pat on the head.

"A daughter, huh?" Kakarot asked happily. "Congratulations! So, are you gonna be a strong fighter like your dad?"

"Mhm!" she said, nodding her head with a wide grin. "I train with him and Trunks and Miss Sakura and Mister Gohan and even Miss Videl, sometimes. I'll be the strongest Princess ever!"

"I don't doubt that," Kakarot said. "With the positive attitude you have, you'll grow up really strong!"

"As much as I hate to interrupt this touching moment," Cyborg 17 began in a somewhat bored drawl. "We should probably make our way to the registration area if we actually want to be in the Tournament."

Thankfully, the Prince had caught his son the day before planning with Goten to enter into the adult division as "Mighty Mask." After threatening to tell Goten's mother and barring Trunks from dessert for an entire year if they did something as incredibly foolish as standing on eachother's shoulders under what amounted to a blanket with eye holes cut out, a disguise that would fool no one for more than a few minutes, he extracted a promise from the two plotters to _never_ attempt something that foolhardy again.

All in all, eight warriors signed up for the adult division: Kakarot, Vegeta, Tien, Gohan, Videl, Sakura, and Cyborgs 17 and 18. Trunks, Goten, and Bra all signed up for the junior division tournament with looks of eager anticipation. While neither boy liked the idea of having to fight a little girl like Bra, both of them were quickly disabused of the notion of going easy on her during their last training session when she transformed into a Super Saiyan and brought both of them to their knees in under five minutes...after Trunks had openly wondered why a little girl like his sister thought she could take two strong _boys_ on. Bra was proud of her title of Saiyan Princess, and she knew from watching Miss Sakura put Mr. Gohan through the wringer that a girl could be just as strong as any boy.

Vegeta had a good, hardy laugh in his head when he heard the news that the winner of the adult division would go on to fight against none other than that afroed, mustachioed buffoon, Mr. Satan. He'd love to take that huge ego down a few pegs, even if he was the father of his student's girlfriend. Even if Kakarot somehow managed a win against him, he'd still get to enjoy watching Mr. Satan get tossed about like a ragdoll...not that he'd let Kakarot win, of course.

The children were called away for the preliminary matches to determine who'd fight in the first round. The Prince of All Saiyans gave his children a calm, confident look as they went their separate ways. He knew they would do well; after all, they were _his_ children. The rest of the group moved on to a large area just outside the gate to the main grounds. Near the wall, an odd-looking machine with a puffy, red bag on the front end and a screen on the back sat. One of the monks explained that the adult division's first round would be determined by the punching machine: the 15 people who got closest to the score set by Mr. Satan would be the contestants for the first round. Outwardly, Vegeta was as calm and unflappable as ever, but inside, he was seething. This machine didn't test a fighter's skills, merely how hard they could hit! Any moron can punch a machine hard!

Though the thought galled him, he couldn't help but agree with Piccolo's suggestion to hold back after seeing the bar Mr. Satan had set: 137. If a weakling like him could get a score that high, then _real_ fighters like himself would likely annihilate the machine with anything stronger than a particularly hard sneeze. Besides, it would at least prove a mildly interesting challenge. Try as they might, though, the warriors there couldn't get a score lower than that set by Mr. Satan, the only one who came anywhere near it was Videl, and even she had gotten a 167. While the tournament workers insisted that the machine was broken, the Prince knew that it was all just a farce. At any rate, the _real_ fighters all made it in without any problems, and soon they, as well as the children (all three of theirs had passed the preliminary round with flying colours), made their way to the pre-tournament lunch. The Saiyans, especially Kakarot, all found themselves consuming an inordinate amount of food, something which seemed to greatly perturb their hosts even as it amused the rest of their entourage.

A replete group walked down the lane leading to the fighters' waiting area when ahead of them stood two strangers. One was a short, lavender-skinned man with a large, white mohawk and mystic-looking garbs. The other was a large, muscular man with red skin and long, white hair who bore a very serious, calculating look on his rough-hewn face. The shorter man floated toward Kakarot, exuding an air of calm superiority.

"Good afternoon," he said, eyeing Kakarot. "You wouldn't happen to be Goku, would you?"

"Yeah, I'm Goku," Kakarot said with no small amount of confusion in his voice. "How did you know?"

A smug grin appeared on the small man's face as he said, "Your reputation as a great fighter precedes you. I was hoping for a chance to face you in the Tournament."

Vegeta eyed the man suspiciously, but said nothing. Something about this stranger seemed...off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on _why_. He seemed far too confident for someone with so little ki. It was quite possible that he was hiding his power, and that possibility made him even more suspect.

"Its not that I think I can beat you," he admitted far too easily. "Its just that I'm looking for the greatest challenge that I can, and I know you're someone who can appreciate that." Seeing the look of confusion still on Kakarot's face, he continued. "I've traveled very far for this opportunity, you could say that I'm one of your biggest fans. Goku, may I shake your hand?"

Kakarot grasped the strange man's outstretched hand after a moment. Something significant seemed to pass between the two men.

The short man gave a wide, somewhat unsettling grin as their hands parted, saying, "Thank you. You're as brave as everyone says you are." He floated to the ground and said, with a deep bow, "Good day."

As he walked away, the small crowd behind him looked utterly flabbergasted by the exchange. The pair ignored Kakarot when he asked their names as they walked away.

"I don't like this," Piccolo said in a wary tone. "They're strong."

"Mhm," Kakarot replied. "Really strong. But, isn't that half the fun of the Tournament? Finding the unexpected challenge and seeing who comes out the victor?"

"They don't seem that strong to me," Krillin said after a short pause. "I think they're getting in over their heads."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, saying, "I don't think so. There's something about them..." he paused, collecting his thoughts. "Something disquieting. I'd keep an eye on those two, something isn't right, here."

"Yeah," Cyborg 17 added. "Shorty there was acting really weird, I don't trust him."

A somewhat more subdued group proceeded on their journey, contemplating the purpose of the strange man's appearance and trying to discern his motives. The Prince of All Saiyans admitted that the man was a mystery, but he knew well enough to realize that mysteries can be deadly, that this new stranger and his companion might well be a threat. He also realized that he could very well just be paranoid, but Vegeta knew better than to take a chance where the lives of his family and friends were concerned. No matter the opponent, Vegeta would face them as he faced all others, and would do everything in his power to emerge victorious.

**Author's Notes**

More! This one might be a little bit short, but I figured that this would be as good a stopping point as any whilst I suss out the details of the tournament match-ups. I had to re-watch some scenes (like Goku's arrival) because, quite honestly, its been a very, very long time since I've watched the Buu saga, and I didn't want to flub any important details. Yes, Vegeta's officially a Super Saiyan 3, now. However, he's had even less time to practice than Goku, so he can only hold the transformation for a small handful of minutes before his stamina is gone. I see SSJ3 as kind of a ki overload, even for a Saiyan; while they can train their bodies to handle it better, there's still the core problem of the 400 times power increase simply being too much for their bodies to handle for any extended period.

Also, yeah, I wrote in 17 because, honestly, he's one of my favourite characters, and its sad that he got pretty much zero screentime after the Cell saga. Now, he gets to have some fun and be his usual, magnificently bastardy self! And, yeah, Vegeta's happy to see Goku, since now, he finally gets to see the fruit of all his labours when he fights his eternal rival.

Also, Overlordvegeta, don't go making accusations without facts to back you up. I have _never even heard_ of The Vegeta Chronicles before just now. The only Dragon Ball fic I've read is Dragon Ball Multiverse. In the future, don't accuse people of plagiarism, ask if they are drawing upon a specific fic for inspiration, its much less insulting.

Anywho, I'm going to stop rambling here before admins get mad. I'll catch you guys later for The Prince Ascendant, Chapter Seven: The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament!


	7. The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament 1

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Seven: The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, Part One

It was announced that the Junior Division of the Tournament would be taking place before the adult division; the winner going on to fight an exhibition match against the winner of the adult league. Vegeta openly scoffed at many of the contestants, while they _were_ children, many of them looked as though they'd never seen a day's proper training in their lives or looked outright malnourished. He continued to be shocked at just how much of a joke this "World Martial Arts Tournament" was turning out to be. It was bad enough that Mr. Satan was its champion, but that there were warriors beneath even _him_ and that they were allowed to showcase their complete lack of skill in front of a crowd of tens of thousands of people was especially galling.

Despite his growing disgust with this farce, the Prince of All Saiyans was glad to see that the first match would be something to which he was looking forward: his children would be facing off against one another to see who was strongest. Trunks was older than his sister and edged her out in terms of strength, when he deigned actually apply himself, but Bra was faster and her technique was far more fluid than her brother. Of course, this was assuming that Trunks didn't do something to goad his sister; he hadn't seemed to quite learn that lesson, yet.

Sauntering into the ring without a care, Trunks looked at his sister with a grin on his face and gave her a flippant gesture, saying, "I still can't believe they let a girl into the tournament, even if she _is_ my sister. Here I was hoping I'd have a good match against Goten."

"Oh that is _it!_" Bra said, her features contorting into a look of pure outrage. "I have had enough of your giving me grief, Trunks! I'll show you what a girl can do _when you make her mad!_"

With that, Bra transformed into a Super Saiyan and charged her gobsmacked brother. A solid blow landed against Trunks' chest, sending him hurtling backward, just barely able to regain his footing before he'd be ringed out. The crowd's raucous cheers put a smile on Bra's face, even as she watched her big brother transform, too.

"I finally get to kick your butt in front of a crowd!" she said, deftly blocking her brother's kick at her head.

Trunks dropped into a ready stance, his normal playfulness gone as a visage of seriousness found its way on to his face. "I guess we'll see, won't we, _little_ sister?" he said with a slight growl.

Vegeta was at the edge of his seat. He couldn't help but get swept away in the battle between his two children. He knew they were playing it up a little for the crowd, but he could tell almost immediately that this was going to be a close match. A good match. In his periphery, he saw a slightly confused look on Kakarot's face as he smiled, watching his children trade blows like _real_ professionals.

"I guess what they needed to go all out," Gohan began, no small amount of surprise in his voice. "Was a real match with actual stakes. This is getting good!"

Vegeta's smile only grew wider as the others started remarking on his children's performance. Yes, they were becoming true warriors, and this was the first real fight they'd had in a while. Sibling rivalry was bringing out the best in both of them, it would seem. Vegeta's train of thought broke as he just missed a verbal jab his son had made, once again, at his younger sister, goading her to fight even harder.

"I've been saving something just for today, _dear brother,_" Bra began, a vindictive smile on her face. "Let's see how you like it!"

The Prince saw his daughter's aura begin to spike wildly as her skin grew slightly redder and her muscles began to bulge a bit. Apparently, she'd picked up the Enhanced Super Saiyan form from tales Gohan had told her about the Cell games. She didn't go all out like his son from the future had done, which was good, her speed was the greatest advantage she had over her brother.

"So you're stronger," Trunks responded with a nervous laugh. "Big deal. I'm still gonna beat you and win this tournament!"

Bra's only response to her brother's taunt was giving him a "come at me" sign with a slightly feral smile on her face. Trunks sent a punch hard against her stomach, which Bra hadn't bothered to block in the slightest, not that it dealt any damage. Trunks' startled expression only lasted for a second before he shot into the air, attempting to gain some distance and time to plan a counterattack. His sister might _actually_ be stronger than him now, and that was _not_ good. He chanced to look down, only to see that Bra was gone from her place on the stage. Fractions of a moment later, he was careening toward the stage after a particularly hard blow to the face.

Bra knew she couldn't hold this state for much longer, it took far too much energy for her to hold it for as long as she could the normal Super Saiyan state. However, she still took a small moment to revel in the fact she'd given her brother his comeuppance in the form of a badly split lip. She vowed to ensure that he never talked down to her again, charging toward her brother as he regained his footing after landing head-first into the stage floor hard enough to make a small crater. Trunks readied himself; if he remembered what dad told him about that form correctly, his sister couldn't hold it forever, and once she was out of steam, then he'd make short work of her.

That was easier said than done as he just barely blocked a hard kick that was aimed at his chest. He jumped over his sister, her foot still in his hand, and landed a punch to her gut as he flipped backward along the stage. Finished with gaining a little distance, Trunks sent himself flying toward his sister, savouring the excited yells of the spectators. As Bra readied herself to defend against another attack, she saw her brother disappear just a meter away from her. She remembered this trick just in time, leaving behind an afterimage right in the nick of time to avoid being hit with a kick to the ribs.

Bra appeared right in front of her brother, grabbing his leg and, using all her remaining strength, pulled him off the ground, flinging him toward the far side of the ring. As he flew, she battered him with a fierce combination of punches to the gut and ribs, finishing with a blow to the face that sent him flying into the stadium wall, where he fell on to the ground below, resulting in a ring out. She reverted, nearly collapsing as the strain had almost taken everything from her.

"And the winner isssssssss…" the announcer said, lifting up Bra's arm, much to her embarrassment. "BRAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The crowd went wild, and Bra excused herself after the announcer informed the crowd that she'd advanced to the next round, and congratulated her on an excellent fight. Bra walked off the stage and over toward where her brother was just coming to, offering him a hand up.

"Hmph," he said in an almost picture perfect imitation of father as he grasped her hand. "I guess aren't so little now, are you?"

Bra pulled her brother up and dusted him off, saying with a pleased smile, "And don't you forget it. You did really well, too, big brother."

Vegeta was immensely proud of his children. They'd put on an incredible show, and Bra showed some hidden depths she'd not shown during their training; the logical conclusion being that she'd taken a leaf from Sakura's book and had started training on her own. Her being a good sport about it, at the end, was almost as praiseworthy as her victory. He'd been slightly scared that she might take the chance to antagonize her brother, but she'd helped him up and congratulated him on a battle well fought.

Kakarot's youngest had the misfortune to be placed against an opponent that looked like he'd come out of a bad television program. The boy wore a loose, green spandex suit with orange leg warmers. His pitch-black hair had been styled in a picture perfect bowl cut and his pupils were unusually large. Even though the boy, Vegeta had missed his name, though he believed it had something to do with Stone or Rock or something, put up a valiant effort and his form was actually fairly good, he was easily dispatched by a rather confused-looking Goten. After the announcer's usual, bombastic declaration of Goten's victory, he saw the other boy's…father? Teacher? He didn't really know, but he looked to be a larger, adult version of Goten's opponent with blindingly white teeth. At any rate, he saw the man wake the boy up and embrace him, no doubt vowing that they'd both train harder to win the next tournament.

What followed was a ridiculous parade of weakling after weakling. Bra and Goten had some more unspectacular fights they'd easily won, but little of note had happened. At long last, it was time for the final round: Bra would be facing off against Kakarot's youngest. Though a part of him felt that it ought to have been his son fighting Goten, Vegeta was still inordinately pleased that the two of them had a chance to really show off their abilities. Goten was a lot more genial than Trunks, and didn't goad Bra about the fact she was a girl, something which actually might make this fight a very, _very_ close thing. Without her righteous indignation as one of the only two Saiyan girls known, his daughter wouldn't be as imposing an opponent as she was against Trunks, and Goten would be on his guard after her little display during the first round.

Goten bowed to Bra, his hands together, saying, "Let's have a good fight, Bra!"

Bra mimicked her opponent with a happy smile and responded with, "Let's do this!"

Bra hadn't had much opportunity to spar with Goten, so she was more on her guard with him than she was with her brother, since she didn't know his moves as well. Even as a Super Saiyan, she fought conservatively, making sure to not expend too much energy on offense _or_ defense, until she got a better handle on her opponent's abilities, just like father had taught her. Goten's blows came with a smile, he was thoroughly enjoying this fight, even if he had the feeling that Bra was holding back a little. Then, Bra sent a left hook around his guard, connecting hard with his head and knocking him to the ground with a thud.

After that, Goten was more careful, he didn't want Bra thinking he was taking it easy on her…he knew how she got when she was mad, and he did _not_ want to be put thru the wringer like Trunks had been. Blow after blow began landing with more and more force, knocking stones loose as shockwaves were sent thru the stage as the battle really started heating up. Bra was putting more and more of her energy toward offense, knowing that even if she found a way around the rather adaptable style he'd picked up from his older brother, someone against whom she'd never _once_ won, she'd be hard-pressed to break through his defenses without using a fair amount of power.

Kakarot was literally giggling like a schoolgirl as he watched his youngest fight on a completely even keel with Vegeta's daughter. Though Vegeta thought him undignified, he couldn't help but pick up his fair share of excitement seeing the two pint-sized powerhouses go toe-to-toe. It was obvious that Gohan had been training his little brother personally, the younger boy's form was almost identical to his older brother: fluid, but not without structure. In short, he was giving Bra a serious run for her money, though she was giving just as good as she got. Whether or not she won this fight, he was indescribably proud of his little girl. She was fighting just as he'd taught her: smart. Gohan and Videl were cheering the two on, as well. Even the Cyborgs were looking pleased at seeing such an excellent bout.

"Man, that little girl of yours is tough, Vegeta," Cyborg 17 said in an amazed tone. "And that Goten is no slouch, either! If I still had a heart, it'd be beating out of my chest!"

Five minutes. Ten minutes. _Twenty_ minutes. Time flew by, though the crowd didn't seem to notice nor care, as Goten and Bra traded explosive blow after explosive blow, both of them operating at blistering speeds. Their fists and feet worked like well-oiled machines, sending their opponent flying and crashing into the ground and both came to the point of knocking the other out on numerous occasions. Goten and Bra, battered but unbowed, landed on opposite sides of the much-abused ring, panting heavily. In a flash, both of them were charging one another with incredible speed…and their fists collided into eachother's faces, sending both flying on to the dirt outside the arena at the same time.

"I…!" the announcer began, shock clearly evident in his voice. "I've never seen anything like this before! Both of these miniature titans have knocked the other out of the ring! IT'S A TIE!" He cleared his throat before continuing. "But, it seems that neither of our young warriors have it in them to fight a tie-breaker round-"

Bra cut in, winded, "I yield. Goten wins."

The announcer looked shocked for a moment before changing tack, "You heard the little lady, folks! Bra has conceded, making Goten the champion of the Junior Division! Let's hear it foooooooooor GOTENNNNNNNN!"

The crowd went wild, some obviously moved to tears at the unexpected display of sportsmanship from such a young girl. Goten and Bra took slightly shaky bows before the stadium, which caused even more cheers to ring out from the exuberant crowd. The two walked back toward the friends and family section beneath the stadium, where they were greeted by a chorus of happy noise. Vegeta told his children, in no uncertain terms, that he was immensely proud of their performance. Though he'd have preferred it if one of them had won, he made sure to tell them that it only meant they'd have to train even more for next time, something at which they both looked very pleased.

Lunch was announced to much fanfare. Everyone, the Saiyans most especially, was absolutely famished. Goten, Bra, and Trunks fell on their food like starving wolves, eating at a pace that outdid even Kakarot. Vegeta was happy that, soon, he'd be getting a little exercise in, himself. He'd loved every minute of his children's fights, but that only made him hungry for some action of his own. Though he was mildly irritated that he wouldn't be fighting Kakarot in the first rounds, so they were both fresh, he at least took solace that his assigned opponent, Cyborg 17, was at least fairly strong. Kakarot's deal was much better, something about which the Prince of All Saiyans was slightly bitter, he was facing Sakura in the first round. The young woman might not win against him, but there was little doubt in Vegeta's mind that she'd give him what for, especially since she'd been trained by both him _and_ Gohan. Gohan seemed a bit put out that he was facing Cyborg 18, but he was at least thankful that he wasn't facing Videl; he really didn't know how to approach that. She'd be offended if he took it easy on her, but she really wasn't ready for a fight the likes of which he could bring when he took off the training gloves. Tien was actually somewhat excited to fight against Videl. Of those here, she was the biggest unknown quantity, and he wanted to see how strong Gohan's training had made the ambitious young woman.

After consuming what had to be the food supply of a small continent, the warriors returned to the waiting area to be called for their fights. Replete and happy, they were all rearing and ready to go. Piccolo had lagged behind a little, and something seemed to be disturbing him a bit, but Vegeta decided not to pry, mostly because his was the first battle of the round, and he was mentally preparing himself to fight an opponent he'd never gotten a chance to really face. When he'd fought against Cyborg 18, Vegeta recalled that 17 and 16 had simply stayed on the sidelines and observed, making sure others didn't interfere. He didn't even get a chance to get so much as a feel for the battle he had with Piccolo while he was training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, much to his dismay. The Prince's train of thought was interrupted by the announcer, who had called them both to the ring.

"Finally," Cyborg 17 drawled. "I was getting bored waiting. Let's make this interesting, shall we?"

Vegeta gave his opponent a courteous nod of affirmation as he worked out a plan in his head. He _could_ have 17 on his knees with a single blow, but that would be boring. This wasn't a life-or-death battle, he could afford to take his time and enjoy the fight. After all, it wasn't every day one got to fight a new opponent. Vegeta walked quietly on to the stage with his arms folded, thinking on the battle to come and how it'll affect his other potential matches in this tournament. If he showed too much power, his opponents, namely Kakarot, would be more on their guard and less likely to make mistakes. Against most of the riffraff that were in this thing, as well, that wouldn't matter a great deal, but against foes of actual power, it could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Kakarot likely knew he could ascend beyond Super Saiyan, and Vegeta surmised that Kakarot would also be capable of the same, but the real question would come down to whether or not he'd achieved anything beyond that.

As the first blows landed, the Prince of All Saiyans fought a simultaneous battle in his mind. Even if Kakarot had achieved Super Saiyan 3, he wouldn't be likely to show it in a friendly match like this. His spirit body might be more durable than a normal, flesh-and-blood one, but the form was an immense drain, regardless, so using it in anything but a serious battle, or peacetime training, was impractical at best. Vegeta blocked a hard right hook aimed at his face, and counterattacked with a jab to the gut that Cyborg 17 parried, moving around the blow and chambering a kick to Vegeta's ribs, which connected and sent the Prince flying backward several meters. Even as he righted himself, Vegeta couldn't help but keep working out all the details of his likely fight with his true rival. It may come down to who can last the longest, and Vegeta knew that he was incredibly sturdy; his constitution was a point of pride for him.

"Come on," Cyborg 17 yelled indignantly. "I thought you were going to fight for real!"

"You're right," Vegeta replied, transforming into a Super Saiyan. "I need to focus on the battle in front of me!"

Bulma watched as her husband, her Prince, battled the Cyborg that had, at one time, threatened everything she held dear. Granted, he was reformed, but 17 was still a jerk. Even after Vegeta transformed, Bulma could see the gears grinding away in his head. He was planning something, that much was certain. Her Vegeta might not be above the average high schooler when it comes to intellectual pursuits, but, in her mind, he was second only to Piccolo when it came to genius in battle. Given his intense drive after learning that Goku would be coming back for a day, Bulma knew almost from the word "go" that her husband was planning out every detail of his eventual fight with his greatest rival. Bulma watched as the blows and blasts flew fast and furious between her husband and Cyborg 17, much to the crowd's pleasure. She knew her husband would win this fight, but she was happy that he seemed to be enjoying every second of it while it lasted.

Cyborg 17 knew he was outmatched, 18 had told him how Vegeta had managed to kill Cell. Still, he could tell the man had changed; he wasn't nearly as cocky as he used to be, and he could see that Vegeta was genuinely enjoying the fight as much as he was. Even as he was quickly put on the defensive, 17 couldn't help but smile at how much fun he was having. For a moment, at least, it was almost like the old days. He was facing off against a strong opponent, savouring every punch that connected, every block, every parry. Cyborg 17 was happy with his life as a ranger and husband, but he couldn't help but miss the thrill of a good fight. Poachers and the like just couldn't hold a candle to flying around, fighting with people that could blow up entire planets. Alas, a mistimed block caused a fist as hard as steel to connect with his gut, driving the wind from him.

As much fun as Vegeta was having, he knew he couldn't keep this up all day…the crowd would end up getting bored, and that was just unacceptable. The punch to the gut the Prince managed to get past 17's guard was just the opening he needed. A swift roundhouse kick had the eternally young man flying backwards and, just as he was clear of the ring, Vegeta appeared above him and, with a hard elbow to the head, send Cyborg 17 on to his long-awaited meeting with the ground. Before his victory had even been announced, Vegeta was at the edge of the ring, offering his opponent a hand up, which the latter took with a weary smile.

Cyborg 17 took his beating with grace. He'd have preferred to square off against his sister, but Vegeta had proven to be an exceptionally good sport. He even resolved to enter the next tournament when it came up; maybe he'd have a chance to make it past the first round and square off against Vegeta again, assuming that weird lavender-skinned dude didn't do something to hose the entire arrangement. Cyborg 17 was still wary after their encounter with the mystery man and his hulking companion. People like that were _always_ up to something, and that something was rarely, if ever, good.

As the two warriors made their exit, the announcer made his way to the stage, his blonde hair almost literally reeking of spray. Mic in hand, he began introducing the next opponents with great zest, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you, Goku!" The crowd cheered as Kakarot walked up to the stage like a kid walking into his favourite candy store. "Some of you here may remember Goku as the winner of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament! He's back and ready for more!"

The announcer spun around, facing the young woman who had just walked into the ring. "And over here," he started with his usual bombastic tone. "We have Sakura! We don't know much about this pretty young lady," he added with a suggestive wink that received numerous catcalls from the crowd. "But we wish her the best! Fighters, you may begin!"

As Goku entered a ready stance, he smiled as the young woman in front of him did the same. "Hey!" he called out. "Let's have a good fight!"

"Likewise, Mr. Kakarot!" Sakura responded with a respectful nod.

Sakura was off her feet just an instant before Kakarot, something that didn't go past Vegeta's gimlet eye. As the awkward starting blows gave way to a more fluid scene of combat, the Prince noted how readily the young woman was keeping up with Kakarot. He knew that she had a natural gift for combat and quite often surprised him with how clever she could be when the situation called for it. It didn't hurt that Kakarot, clown though he may be, kept everything on a completely friendly level and quite plainly wasn't taking it easy on Sakura.

"Man," Goku said, breathing a little heavily and sweating visibly. "You're really tough!"

"And you," Sakura said with levity, pointing an accusing finger at her opponent. "Are holding out on me!"

Goku bowed his head a little sheepishly, this girl was _very_ observant. "Hehe, guilty as charged. Why don't we kick it up a notch, then?"

"Let's," was all that came from the young woman's mouth as she transformed into a Super Saiyan at the same moment as Kakarot.

The battle that followed had Videl's jaw dropping open. She'd trained with Sakura occasionally, but Gohan had told her that his dad was even stronger than he was, and Gohan was _strong_. That Sakura was not only holding her own, but giving Gohan's father a good thrashing underscored just how different their power levels really were. While it wounded her pride a bit that Sakura had quite plainly taken it easy on her, Videl understood, and vowed that she'd train hard so that, one day, she could give her friend a run for her money. After all, she _was_ the daughter of Mr. Satan.

Piccolo was, too, astonished by how well Sakura seemed to be keeping up with Goku. He knew the latter was holding back to make the fight more interesting, but she'd still managed to put him on the defensive a time or two. While the forefront of his mind was watching the battle, the back of it was running over what he'd learned after the conclusion of the Junior Division's final bout. He'd gotten an odd feeling from the lavender-skinned man when they first met him, something about him seemed…otherworldly. He felt like King Kai, in a way, but much more powerful. He'd surmised that he must be the Grand Kai, but when he was taken aside by the man, he discovered that he was, in fact, the _Supreme_ Kai, above even the Grand Kai himself. The Supreme Kai, after swearing Piccolo to secrecy on his identity, realized that Piccolo must have, at some point, been Guardian of Earth, since he could feel his presence. Exactly what someone of his position was doing on Earth both puzzled and disturbed him. He might just be here to inspect how the planet was progressing, but Piccolo doubted that. Something _big_ was going down, but he was still in the dark as to _what_ it actually was…and that was never a good thing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan noticed that Mr. Piccolo was deep in thought as he watched the battle. Something was on his mind, that much was sure, but Gohan couldn't quite puzzle out exactly _what_ his former master was thinking, except that whatever it was was troubling him quite a bit. With Mr. Piccolo on the case, though, Gohan was sure that they would be kept safe. He might be gruff, but there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he had the best interests of Earth at heart. Still, Gohan made a mental note to talk to Mr. Piccolo after his match with Cyborg 18. Besides, it was hard to focus on such things when his _father_, whom he never thought he'd see again, was fighting against a girl he'd come to view as a sister in every way but literally. What's more, she was actually putting up a good fight! Something about his dad's friendliness was driving Sakura to fight harder than she normally did during training, as if she was attempting to impress her opponent...something that might not be far off the mark. Seeing his dad being beaten about the head and stomach by a girl only a few centimeters taller than Videl, he had no doubt that the man was deeply impressed, even if he was holding back.

The deciding exchange of the match awed the crowd: two Kamehameha waves crashed into eachother in mid-air, sending a shower of sparking ki and brilliant light flying as Earth's greatest champion and the young woman who'd been giving him a decisive thrashing fought one another in a ki exchange the likes of which were rare even amongst the Z Warriors. After several agonizing moments, as seconds ticked by like hours, Kakarot's Kamehameha began reaching forward slowly as he poured ever more power into his attack. Finally, the struggle ended and Sakura's Kamehameha was overtaken, the force of which sent her flying into the ground just outside the ring.

Sakura was half-tempted to put the rules by the wayside and continue, but decided against it. Part of the challenge lie in fighting within the limits of the competition. Besides, she might have a chance to fight Gohan's dad again later on today. Suddenly, she understood why Mr. Vegeta so desperately wanted to fight this man. There was just something _about him_ that made one want to push themselves above and beyond their normal limits, to reach _his_ level and surpass his somewhat absurd level of power. The fact that he could achieve this and, yet, be unwavering in his kindness, even offering her a wet cloth to clean up with after the match, amazed Sakura even more. As she watched Gohan and Cyborg 18 take to the ring, Sakura realized what it was like to have a rival. Though Mr. Vegeta might have called it long before she came to this world, the young Saiyan woman vowed that, one day, she would best Mr. Kakarot and become the strongest Saiyan alive. For the first time she could recall, Sakura felt the stirrings of Saiyan pride, and it was a good feeling.

**Author's Notes**

Well, this one took a while! I had a bugger of a time figuring out exactly how I'd start this whole thing. I've been having to take many, many notes on how the canon progresses during the Buu saga, as well as certain small things like how tall Goku is compared to Videl (in my mind, I have Sakura as being somewhere between the two).

Bra isn't necessarily more powerful than Trunks, but Buu saga Trunks is a brat, and I feel like he'd be the kind that would buy into the whole "strong boys, weak girls" thing and would, not in a mean way mind you, antagonize his younger sister. Bra _is_ Bulma's daughter. And Vegeta's daughter. Between the two of them, there is a _lot_ of pride there, and yes, Bra has inherited both her parents' volatile tempers. Combine that with strong female role models like Videl and Sakura, who are both skilled fighters in their own right, and you've got everything you need for a little girl that refuses to put up with any nonsense and will go out of her way to prove that she's just as strong as any boy. Trunks pissed her off, and he reaped the whirlwind for it. Goten didn't, because Goten is just too nice, and so their battle was a lot more even since Bra couldn't really tap into her temper.

A similar situation goes for Sakura: Goku absolutely _adores_ a good fight. In Battle of Gods, he's literally giddy at the thought of fighting a God of Destruction. Fighting an unknown quantity like Sakura is something that would have him buzzing with excitement. Goku's also the type to reign in his power to make a fight interesting; again, see Battle of Gods for more details. Sakura is _damn_ strong. Not Vegeta or Goku caliber, maybe even not as strong as Gohan, but she'd be able to wipe the floor with Cell easily.

One final note, I'm considering, once this story has gotten to at least Chapter Ten or so, compiling a collection of shorts that...well, I'll be blunt: they'll be the things I forgot to put in. Exposition and such that would've fleshed out things more, but I honestly just didn't think to add it in, at the time. My top two candidates are Sakura's Therapy and Vegeta's Development, the latter of which charts Vegeta's course between the first two chapters as he becomes a better man.

I'll stop here before I ramble on more or, Kami forbid, _spoil something_. So, this is Hagunemnon signing off! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Eight of The Prince Ascendant: The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, Part Two!


	8. The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament 2

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Eight: The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, Part Two

Cyborg 18 wasn't a woman to mince words, something her husband, Krillin, would be all too eager to back up. Her husband occasionally exasperated her with his somewhat bumbling manner, but he was a good man, and he treated her and their daughter well, something for which she loved him. The opponent she faced, however, was a daunting one: Son Gohan. The son of the man she'd originally been created to kill. The young man that had nearly killed Cell. The calm, confident..._man_ that walked with her to the stage was so at odds with what she knew of his childhood that even now, she found it a little strange to see him as the adult he was now, instead of the child of yesteryear. In a way, she envied Videl a little, not that she'd ever let that be known. However, the small number of steps she took to centre stage felt like the journey of a thousand miles. Cyborg 18 knew Gohan wouldn't hurt her...at least, not in any permanent capacity, but she also knew that Vegeta had taught him not to pull any punches. Not that she wouldn't give as good as she got. As she took her stance, she mentally prepared herself; not being able to sense ki automatically put her at a disadvantage, but so long as she kept her other senses sharp, she could at least keep up.

Gohan walked up the stairs with the blonde woman that had, at one time, been his mortal enemy, sworn to kill his father. He knew he'd win, Cyborg 18 might have been able to beat him before the Cell Games, but he outclassed her now, even as a Super Saiyan. He considered taking it easy on her, but he immediately disabused himself of that notion. Cyborg 18 was a proud woman, a lot like Videl, and she'd know if he were treating her with kid gloves, and she'd be _extremely_ offended. Come to think of it, so would Videl. As the announcer threw down his hand, signaling the beginning of the bout, Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyan; a sign that he was willing to give 18 an honest fight, a sign of respect. This didn't go unnoticed, as Gohan saw 18 smile a bit before she charged him, sending a forearm blow to his face that he blocked with his right arm.

A roundhouse kick to the stomach later, Cyborg 18 was suspended midair, preparing to dodge Gohan's incoming blow. That was when the air around his form shimmered, and for a moment, she was confused, until she saw several glowing ki orbs around her. Quickly turning about, Cyborg 18 saw Gohan, moving his hands together in a sweeping motion as he yelled out the name of this new attack: the Six-Point Strike. Cyborg 18 didn't even have time to react as the ki orbs slammed into her all at once, exploding and sending her flying toward the ground headfirst. She righted herself just a meter above the ground...a meter off of being disqualified. Cyborg 18 ruthlessly quashed a surge of relief as she pointed all the fingers on both her hands toward the charging Gohan.

In homage to the late Android 16, Cyborg 18 yelled, "Hell Flash!"

It might not have been as powerful as her hulking friend's version, but the jet of flaming ki now racing toward Gohan's face gave him pause as he raised up a hand, using his ki to shield himself from the worst of the attack. Taking the opportunity that had presented itself, 18 charged through the remnants of her own technique, kneeing Gohan straight in the gut before using a hard left hook to the back of the head to force him to painfully belly-flop on to the hard, battered concrete of the stage below.

As Gohan got up, he yelled, "You got me good there, 18!"

Cyborg 18 was glad to see that motherhood hadn't slowed her down in the slightest. She'd heard stories about how, at one time, Gohan's mother, Chi-Chi, was among the strongest women on the planet. However, after she became a mother, that all seemed to disappear, except when she needed to discipline her sons or, at times, her husband when he was being particularly thick. The thought of slowing down, of becoming just another housewife, sent chills down 18's spine. She was more than willing to raise her daughter, but she wanted Marron to be able to look at her mother with pride, knowing she was a strong woman in addition to giving her a good role model.

A particularly cunning move on 18's part, a combination of the Afterimage technique and a good, old-fashioned beating from every possible angle, nearly spelled the end when Gohan ended up just centimeters off the grass outside the ring. The crowd let out a collective gasp as the young man rocketed up toward his opponent, bracketing her on either shoulder with a pair of strong ki blasts before landing a hard blow toward what was _supposed_ to be her stomach...unfortunately, 18 fell a little in the air and Gohan ended up extremely red-faced and apologetic after he accidentally punched Cyborg 18, _a woman_, square in the chest. Thankfully, she appeared in a forgiving mood, though, he knew Videl would give him hell for it later. It took several minutes of hard fighting before Gohan regained his composure. Deciding to face the music with his girlfr-, with Videl, Gohan resolved to end the fight quickly and after grabbing 18's arm when she tried to send a punch toward his ribs, Gohan flew her straight down and threw her into the grass outside the stadium, ringing Cyborg 18 out. Cyborg 18 took her loss surprisingly well, Gohan was halfway expecting her to demand he get back on the stage and fight until one of them won by an actual knockout.

When Gohan returned to the area where his friends and family were, he felt a hand grab his ear and begin pulling, quite insistently. Knowing better than to deny her, Gohan followed Videl to a quiet, unoccupied corner.

"Gohan," she began, giving him a serious, appraising look. "Tell me _that_ wasn't intentional."

"What?!" he half-stammered. "Of course not, Videl! I'd never hit a girl there, you know that!"

"I mean," Videl continued, moving closer and quite plainly ignoring what he was saying. "If you wanted _that_, you could've just asked _me_."

"WHAT!" Gohan nearly screamed, the implications finally sinking in. "Videl, no, I! I...! WHAT?"

Videl couldn't take it any longer, and she let out a howl of laughter that confused her boyfriend even more. She knew Gohan wasn't a pervert, but she couldn't help but tease him, especially when he was so easily flustered. "Don't worry, Gohan," Videl said as she got her breath back. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I _am_ glad you didn't take it easy on 18, even if you could've knocked her out in one blow."

"Videl..." Gohan said, his words failing him completely.

"Buuuuut, I still have to punish you for what you did," Videl said with a coy grin.

Gohan was about to try, and more than likely fail, to say something, but Videl beat him to the punch. Pulling him down by his collar, Videl pulled him into a kiss. It wasn't a long one, and Gohan was _still_ profoundly confused, but he was glad that Videl had let him off the hook that easily.

Videl let out a happy sigh as she pulled away. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, giving Gohan one last peck on the cheek. "I have a match to get to!"

Gohan watched, still red as a beet, as Videl practically skipped away. All things considered, that could've turned out a _lot_ worse. She could've asked for..._that_, and he just wasn't sure he was ready for that kind of thing. He was still struggling to get a grip with the level his relationship was at _now_. As he walked back, he could've sworn he saw his father give him a conspiratorial wink, but that _had_ to have been his imagination. There was, however, no imagining the highly amused look Mr. Piccolo was giving him, though. Gohan sighed mentally. At least they wouldn't be like Master Roshi and all but demand that he go into gory detail, and for that he was eternally grateful.

Tien strode out, calmly, into the ring, a happy-looking young woman following just a few steps behind him. A young woman that was to be his opponent. A young woman that was Gohan's student, though, he had a feeling it was more than _just_ training when they were alone. Tien wasn't the best with the opposite sex, his attempts at dating tended to end rather poorly as his stoicism and training regimen was deemed "off-putting" by most women. However, he certainly knew a happy girlfriend when he saw one, and there was one on the opposite side of the ring from him right now. At least Gohan appeared to have good taste, Videl _was_ rather attractive, if a bit tomboyish. After subtly watching her reactions to Gohan's fight with 18, Tien had made a mental note to _not_ pull any punches. The _last_ thing he wanted was to offend Videl, and perhaps by extension, Gohan.

It was with no small amount of trepidation that Videl walked out on to the ring with the bald, well-built man in front of her. Though she was still buoyed by what had happened with Gohan, she also remembered him telling her that Tien was a warrior through and through, and that assessment seemed spot-on. His serious demeanour combined with his chiseled body told Videl all she needed to know: this was a no nonsense kind of guy, even if he wasn't as gruff as Mr. Piccolo. As they took their places on opposite sides of the now scarred ring, power seemed to radiate off Mr. Tien's body as he bowed to her and she returned the gesture in kind. She wasn't as good at sensing ki as Gohan and the others were, but if she tried, she could at least tell real fighters from normal people.

Watching Videl concentrate her ki, Tien realized that Gohan's training had paid excellent dividends. From what he heard from Goku and the others after the fact, he didn't doubt that she'd be able to give Frieza a very hard time, maybe even kill him outright. This put a smile on Tien's face, he wasn't going to have to hold back a bit, and if she fought smart, this little lady might even be able to knock him on his back. The sight brought back memories of another time when he faced a warrior many years his junior during the World Martial Arts Tournament. In those blue eyes, he saw the same fire and drive to excel that Goku had then and he knew that, if given the chance, she'd go on to do great things.

The battle commenced, Videl and Tien exchanged a multitude of quick blows. Gohan was impressed with how well she was keeping up with Tien. He might have reach on her, but Videl was a lot like Sakura: she was _very_ fast and exceptionally agile. A particularly acrobatic flip above Tien's head, a response to a lightning-fast left jab, saw Videl giving Tien a hard kick to the back that planted him firmly, face-first, into the ring. He managed to get up in time to block another kick, this time at his head, with his forearm. Tien grabbed Videl's leg and swung her low, at first, before pulling her up in attempt to use her momentum to launch her into the air. However, what happened next left Tien and the crowd both baffled and a little red: as Tien was arcing her up, Videl swung her free leg around Tien's neck, giving her enough leverage to break free from his grip, allowing her to sit firmly on his shoulders, her legs wrapped around his throat like a noose.

Applying what she learned when Gohan taught her to fly, Videl concentrated her ki around Mr. Tien's body and pulled, hard, against his legs, flipping him over in a single, fluid motion. Tien rolled out of the way just in time, as Videl had sent a foot down that would have otherwise surely hit him square in the gut. However, he wasn't quite quick enough, and Videl sent the foot she'd tried to hit him with forward, kicking him in the solar plexus. Wounded and winded, but unbowed, Tien instinctively fired off a Dodonpa aimed for the leg Videl still had firmly planted on the ground.

Videl staggered as the ray of ki hit her square in the knee. "Hey!" she yelled indignantly. "No fair! I can't do blasts like you and Gohan!"

As he got up and dusted himself off, Tien replied, "Sorry, it was just a reflex!"

"You're gonna _get it_ now!" she said under her breath as she ducked under another speedy jab.

Drawing herself up, Videl sent her right fist crashing right into Tien's chin in a picture-perfect uppercut that sent her opponent up and back several meters. For a moment, Videl was worried she'd knocked Tien unconscious, but she was relieved to see him get up sporting a very badly split lip. Both fighters were battered, bruised, and a little bloodied, but neither was willing to give any ground to the other while they could still draw breath.

Gohan was cheering Videl on, and so were Bra and Sakura. He just couldn't help it; she was holding her own against the strongest human Gohan knew. They'd both need a few bandages and time to wash up afterward, but he could tell they were both enjoying this fight immensely. Videl was fighting someone close to her own level, and Tien was getting to stretch his muscles in a way that he hadn't been able to in a long while. They were both also learning a lot in the process: Tien was learning how to deal with an opponent as nimble and quick on the uptake as Videl, and she was learning how to handle herself in an actual fight.

After several long minutes of pounding one another, during which the crowd around them was absolutely ecstatic, both Tien and Videl were definitely worse for wear. While nothing was broken, Videl's leg was still throbbing where Tien's Dodonpa had hit it and her body was quickly becoming one big, throbbing ache. Tien was in an equally bad way, this girl knew how to hit _hard_, and he had an excessive amount of bruises and small cuts to attest to her power. As Tien flew after Videl, the latter of whom had taken to the skies to gain a little distance to catch her breath, the young woman stuck her arm out and, before Tien could react, she'd clotheslined him straight into the concrete just beneath the stands. Falling to the soft grass, Tien was happy. It'd been a very, very long time since he'd fought someone of her caliber. Chiaotzu was a good fighter, but he was always focused more on ki and psychic attacks rather than raw power. Even though he lost, Tien was happy to yield to a fighter so skilled.

Videl was so happy that, after helping Mr. Tien up and she was announced the victor, she rushed to her Gohan and kissed him full on the mouth. For his part, Gohan's eyes shot open like champagne corks and his whole body turned a brilliant shade of fuchsia as his girlfriend quite blatantly kissed him in front of not _just_ his entire family, but also pretty much everyone he knew outside school.

Goku gave his son a firm pat on the back after, exclaiming jovially, "Way to go, Gohan!"

"Dad!" Gohan cried in consternation. "Cut it out!"

Bulma gave him a sly elbow to the side, saying in a coy voice, "I always knew you'd end up a lady killer!"

"B-Bulma!"

Vegeta quirked his eye and smiled at his student, deciding to join in the fun saying, "I think you've done rather well."

Before Gohan could say anything, Vegeta's smile faded as he looked to something off to his left side. Following his gaze, the party's mirth died down a bit as they saw the mystery man and his hulking companion. The two of them walked to the group, calmly smiling as he approached them.

"I must congratulate you on an excellent fight," the lavender-skinned man said, bowing to Videl.

"Uhm," she began, coming up a bit short. "Thank you, Mister…"

"Shin," he said plainly. "You may call me Shin." Nodding to the red-skinned man at his side, he continued, "This gentleman is my bodyguard, Kibito."

Kibito nodded fractionally toward the group standing before him and Supreme Kai. He honestly didn't know what to make of the warriors here. Some of them, like this Goku and the shorter gentleman with the tall, spiky hair, seemed to radiate a large amount of ki, but he couldn't really tell _what_ Supreme Kai saw in them. By his measurements, he was stronger than the lot of them put together; they wouldn't be nearly strong enough to face the threat they'd come to Earth to fight. Unless…but, that was merely a legend amongst their people, or at least, that's what Supreme Kai had said. Even then, they surely couldn't hope to stand against the menagerie that wizard had gathered together. Kibito definitely had his misgivings, but he knew better than to question his superior's judgment, as that was not his place. His was to support his master and he would not fail in his duty.

Bowing deeply once more, this time at Goku, Shin said, "I apologize for my earlier rudeness, Goku, in neglecting to properly introduce myself."

"Hey, that's uhm…" Goku began, caught slightly off-balance. "That's alright, no harm done."

Vegeta didn't fail to notice the very slight, almost imperceptible narrowing of Piccolo's eyes. As he thought, there was more to the story than this "Shin" was telling. While he didn't seem threatening, he was certainly up to something, and the Prince of All Saiyans had a feeling his Namekian comrade had an inkling as to what was really going on that he wasn't sharing with the rest of the class. Deciding to trust Piccolo's judgment, he likely had _very_ good reasons for withholding information, Vegeta listened to the rest of Shin's conversation with Kakarot and the others.

"I wanted to see how you all fought before introducing myself," Shin said in a serene tone. "I have to say, you do not disappoint, any of you."

"Thanks!" Kakarot said excitedly, obviously happy at the praise, likely taking it as implying a challenge.

"Indeed," followed Tien as he put his hands together and bowing slightly.

Even the kids seemed pleased at the praise. Vegeta supposed that having someone other than their family tell them they did well felt good; they might feel as if their family is obliged to praise them on account of being family. A ridiculous notion, of course, but they _were_ children, and ridiculous was their watchword.

"So," Cyborg 17 said in a mild, yet somewhat irritated tone. "Are you gonna tell us why you're here, _Mister_ Shin?"

"I will," Shin replied easily. "Not now, but I will."

Vegeta quirked his eye at the admission. This man was being _deliberately_ mysterious…and it was starting to get on his nerves.

"For now, though, I want you all to watch something," Shin said, nodding toward the ring as two men, one an altogether unremarkable man in a white gi, and the other a hulking, bald giant of a man, bulging with veiny muscles and wearing a black spandex getup with a single shoulder strap.

"That big, muscly guy," Videl began in a curious tone. "He looks familiar…"

That much _was_ true, but Videl couldn't place where he'd seen the man before. She _knew_ that she knew him from _somewhere_, but she just couldn't seem to figure out exactly _where_ she'd seen him before.

"The large man's name," Shin continued. "Is Spopovich."

Videl's eyes were as wide as saucers as the realization hit her an instant before Shin said the man's name. "That's the guy dad fought in the finals of the last Tournament!" she almost yelled in astonishment. "But, he had hair then, and he didn't look nearly as strong. Dad beat him easily."

Shin's eyes narrowed and a smile formed on his face. This girl was quick on the uptake, it seemed. "Indeed," he said. "I have little doubt that, if he and your father were to fight again, Miss Videl, that your dad would lose in short order."

Oddly, it was Bra that broke the silence that followed. "Did anyone else see that weird 'M' thing on that big guy's head?" she asked.

"I did indeed," Shin said, the smile on his face fading quickly. "I wonder what it means…"

The Prince had the feeling that this Shin knew exactly what it meant. However, going by what power he felt from this Spopovich, he surmised the man wasn't much of a threat, even if he was head and shoulders taller than Broly. While he wanted very much to throttle this Shin person and demand he drop the mysterious stranger act and just _tell_ them what the _hell_ was going on, Vegeta knew that such an act would be…ill-received, at best, and would likely get very poor results. Vegeta did, however, silently grind his teeth in frustration. If there was one thing Vegeta hated more than anything in the world, it was people that put on airs, and Shin was most _definitely_ cultivating the most annoying variety of that trait imaginable.

The fight was over in a single blow, Spopovich remarking that his opponent wasn't even worth his time. While it was good for Vegeta to see someone else realizing what a farce this "World Martial Arts Tournament" had turned out to be, he became slightly wary of the hulking man as he walked off the stage. Like a lot of people today, he was hiding something. Vegeta discreetly followed Spopovich with his eyes, watching as he eventually stood next to a shorter, more slender man in the same getup as him…with the same strange head marking. As they talked in conspiratorial whispers, the Prince had a sinking feeling that today was going to turn out to be one of those days. One of those days where another threat to the planet would reveal itself and they would be in a desperate fight for their lives, once again.

Shin and Kibito fought against two fairly weak opponents, and their fights were over quickly and unremarkably, neither of them showing any of their true strength. The way the matches had been set up, Gohan would be fighting Kibito, Goku would be fighting Shin (much to Vegeta's chagrin), and Videl would fight the hulking brute, Spopovich.

Goku was up first, and he was positively giddy at the prospect of fighting this Shin guy. When they first met, he had a feeling that he was a _lot_ stronger than he was letting on, something Piccolo echoed when he mentioned it to him. Krillin wasn't so sure about Shin's strength, stating that he thought that he and Kibito were in over their heads, but Goku wasn't so sure…the look on Vegeta's face showed that he was thinking along the same lines as him and Piccolo. Goku wasn't sure what to make of this new Vegeta: on one hand, he was just as quiet as ever, but on the other, he seemed possessed of a strange, calm thoughtfulness. He wouldn't miss the belligerence, but Goku wondered what had caused it to disappear.

As the Supreme Kai ascended the stage with his opponent, none other than the legendary Goku, he ran the many possibilities for how to approach this battle through his head. He could reveal his identity to him, but his friends and family might hear, and he might not be as willing to go all-out against one such as him. However, remaining something of a mystery would no doubt cause him to be on his guard and make him reluctant to show the cards in his hand. There were other things to consider, as well. Spopovich and Yamu were obviously taken in by that bastard wizard, and they _were_ up to something. The Supreme Kai couldn't risk having them discover his identity. It may well chase them away before he could gather Goku and his friends to his cause, as well as assessing their strength. If they weren't up to the task, he'd have to make a trip to King Yemma's domain and make arrangements for Pikkon or some other powerful, deceased fighter, or perhaps more than one, from Grand Kai's domain to have some time on Earth so they could act as a strike force. No, revealing himself ran the risk of greatly disrupting his plans, and that was to be avoided at all costs.

Taking his place on the stage opposite his opponent, Shin bowed and said, "So, Goku, are you ready to show me what you're made of?"

"You bet," Goku said with relish. "This is going to be fun!"

Goku made the first move, sending a flying right hook toward Shin's face. Shin caught his fist in his hand and, in one fluid motion, forced him aside while attempting to knee him in the stomach. Goku spotted this, of course, and used his free hand to block while he twisted his wrist, freeing his hand from Shin's grasp and flipping over his opponent's head. Shin was good, that much was plain. Even though Goku was holding back, wanting to enjoy this battle for all it was worth, his opponent was managing to keep up with him fairly well. However, it was plain that Shin was outclassed. The times Goku got through or around his guard, his blows sent him staggering and, on one memorable occasion that nearly ended the match, flying.

Goku was a bit disappointed, to be honest. While skilled, this Shin guy just wasn't very strong. Sure, he was quick, and was good with defense, but his blows never really dealt much in the way of damage, unless he managed to catch Goku unawares. Transforming would've been complete overkill, and even a basic Kaioken would end this match way too soon, for his liking. Shin would've given Frieza a run for his money, but Goku was so far beyond that point now, it was absurd. After a particularly frenzied combo, which left Shin bloodied and bruised, the lavender-skinned man put up his hand, silently asking for a pause. Goku obliged, wondering where this was going.

"I yield," Shin said between laboured breaths. "You're every bit as strong as the rumours say you are."

It took no small amount of control for Goku to resist voicing his disappointment. Instead, Goku offered Shin his hand, which the latter shook firmly, but politely. Even if it was short, Goku was glad to have had someone new to fight. Besides, he was still interested to see how well this Kibito guy would fare against Gohan. He could tell his son had grown a _lot_ stronger since their battle with Cell seven years ago, something of which Goku got a glimpse when his son had his bout with Cyborg 18. Goku was proud of his son, and he was happy that the Earth had people ready and willing to defend it in his absence.

**Author's Notes**

Phew, this one was a doozy, but a _lot_ easier to write than the last chapter! I had a lot of fun having Videl tease Gohan like that. I think I might have made her more playful than she was in canon, and more affectionate. I chalk it up to Gohan being more of a, for lack of a better term, man than he was at this point in canon. He's still as easily flustered as ever, something I attribute to his rather sheltered upbringing, but he's more confident now and surer of himself, more sure of what he wants and ladies like Videl eat that kind of stuff _up_.

It still surprises me that Gohan is 18-19 when he starts high school and gets his first girlfriend. Sure, he's a bit of a nerd and Chi-Chi was quite adamant about Gohan being homeschooled for a long time, but _still_. Then again, by my calculations, as well as info from Dragon Ball Wiki, Videl was 18 at the time of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai, so who knows. Also, no, I'm not going to do a lemon with Videl and she's not turning into a slut. A lot of girlfriends tease their guys, its normal, or at least it isn't bad.

Goku's not like Master Roshi, he's not a full-blown poon hound. He _is_, however, aware of Gohan and Videl's relationship, even if the former is embarrassed and loath to admit it. He's just taking the opportunity to mess with his son a little now that he's grown up a bit.

I think that about covers things here…if I think of anything else, or one of you guys has a question you want answered, I'll either put their answers up in the next chapter's notes, or I'll make an update to this one. Either which way, I'll see you guys for Chapter Nine of The Prince Ascendant: Supreme Kai's Quarry! Take care and thank you for all the feedback!


	9. Supreme Kai's Quarry

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Nine: Supreme Kai's Quarry

A palpable sense of dread filled Videl as she walked up to the arena behind the giant, Spopovich. She knew there was no real reason to fear him; after all, if her _dad_ could beat him, then surely she could do the same. She might not be 100%, but the short rest and light snack she'd had brought her as close to it as she could get after her match with Mr. Tien. However, the aura around Spopovich was wholly different from Gohan and the others. They felt more…peaceful, or at least didn't exude the almost tangible sense of malice that the bald colossus did.

Spopovich was glad, but unconcerned, that he was getting to fight this little girl. He watched her fight with that three-eyed guy, and she actually showed a hint of power, unlike most of the weaklings around here. He remarked to himself what amazing things a little magic could accomplish. Seven years ago, he couldn't even beat that blowhard, Mr. Satan, but _now_? Now, he felt like a _god_. The short, yellow guy really did him a solid. For such power, Spopovich was more than happy to run some errands for his new master, even if he was a demanding little runt. That Goku guy was a former Tournament champion, maybe _he_ had the kind of power for which his master was looking. Either way, he decided to enjoy this fight as he took his place on the stage. Oh yes…this was going to be _delicious_.

Videl wasted no time when the start of the match was signaled. This guy looked dangerous, and Gohan had made it plain during his training what you _didn't_ do with dangerous opponents: mess around. Charging forward, she landed a jab straight in Spopovich's chest. It only took a moment for her to register that he hadn't even bothered to block, and she leapt backward just in time to dodge a meaty fist aimed right for her temple. The broad grin on this gargantuan man was downright _disturbing_. As she landed blow after blow on this massive, bald fighter, Videl watched as his grin slowly began to fade. It was then that she realized that, even at her best, she just couldn't do any damage to this guy. Gohan and the others were right, this guy was _way_ stronger than he was letting on!

The thought only lasted a moment in Videl's head, unfortunately, as she found her face engulfed in an incredibly thick hand. Panic surged through her mind as she clawed at any flesh she could find. Eventually, her fingers found purchase in two recessions that she discovered were Spopovich's eyes, which she clawed as hard as she could. He let go with a howl of pain and rage, clutching at his eyes.

"You little…" he began in a guttural growl. "You little _bitch_!"

The crowd gasped in shock at the man's statement. For his part, Spopovich ignored the little fleas. No, he was going to make this broad _suffer_ for hurting him like that. As his vision cleared, he saw the tiny fly buzzing around him, trying in vain to do him harm. He was going to make her _scream_. He grabbed the girl's fist as she tried to send a jab at his chin and slammed her hard against the concrete. Hearing her grunt of pain was immensely satisfying. He sent one of his fists crashing into her stomach while the other held her arm down. The scream that came from her mouth was like music to his ears.

Gohan watched as Spopovich proceeded to torture Videl. His fists clenched so hard, his palms bled. The feeling of his father's hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down, barely registered. He felt his ki surge as Spopovich leaned closer to _his_ Videl, his grotesquely huge paw wrapped around her face, attempting to crush her skull. Videl's scream of anguished pain did it.

"You…" Gohan said through gritted teeth as his face contorted in a rictus of fury. "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BASTARD!"

His rage filled him with power as he charged. All he could think about was getting that son of a bitch off the woman he loved. Well, that, and turning him into a carpet stain, but that would come _after_ he rescued Videl. However, Gohan stopped short when he heard a single word…

"Stop," he heard a deep, yet silken, voice say. "That's enough, Spopovich."

Spopovich registered the command with a dumb, yet disappointed look on his face. With a heavy sigh, he kicked Videl off the arena, and Gohan easily caught her. If looks could kill, the glare Gohan shot the large man as he walked off the stage would have obliterated him where he stood. The Z Warriors walked silently behind Gohan as he took Videl to the infirmary. As Gohan laid Videl down on the nearest empty bed, Krillin reached down and started fumbling around in his pocket.

After a short moment, he pulled his hand out and opened it, revealing a small, green Senzu bean. "Here, Gohan," he said solemnly, handing it over to the young man. "I got a couple of these from Korin before the Tournament. I thought they might come in handy, but…" he stopped short, not wanting to remark on the barely conscious young woman's injuries.

Gohan smiled and nodded, replying, "Thanks, Krillin." He angled Videl's head up and her eyes opened a little. "Hey, Videl, eat this. It's a Senzu bean, it'll make you feel better."

Just then, the door burst open, and the voice of Mr. Satan thundered, "Hey you, stop that! Don't give my Videl anything funny, or I'll throw you out the window!"

"It's…okay, daddy," Videl said weakly. "I trust him."

"Videl," Mr. Satan said, grasping his daughter's hand. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and opened her mouth a little. Gohan gently placed the Senzu bean in her mouth and laid her back down as she swallowed. "I have a match to get to, Videl," he said quietly. "But, I'll be back as soon as it's done, okay?"

Videl nodded and let out a relaxed, relieved sigh.

"I know Videl thinks a lot of you," Mr. Satan said in a serious tone as Gohan made for the door. "But, I promise you…if you hurt her, I will put you in the ground."

Gohan nodded respectfully as he and the others left Mr. Satan to be with his daughter while she recovered. The Senzu bean would be taking effect shortly, but Gohan didn't want to suffer a forfeit in absentia and miss his chance to beat Spopovich bloody for what he did.

As he walked at the rear of the group returning to the Tournament waiting area, Vegeta silently revised his opinion of Mr. Satan. He was an arrogant, showboating blowhard with an over-inflated ego and ridiculous hairdo, but he seemed to genuinely care about his daughter. Perhaps there was more good in him than he originally thought. However, the Prince's mind quickly changed tack as he remembered Spopovich's companion, Yamu, and the look he had on his face when Gohan charged the arena. He wasn't worried in the slightest that his partner was trying to blatantly kill a contestant. No, his look was appraising and thoughtful. The only logical conclusion was that it was Gohan showing some of his power that caused him to order Spopovich to stop. They were plotting something, too, it would seem, and it appeared to involve warriors of strength. He couldn't help but draw parallels between him and another who seemed to be interested in strength: the mystery man, Shin. Shin, however, seemed to be against them…his look as he told them the two men's identities was one of despise and deep distaste. Things were getting more complicated, but at least Shin didn't seem as outright malicious as Spopovich and Yamu. As Gohan walked to the stage for his bout with Shin's bodyguard, Kibito, Vegeta continued trying to figure out what, exactly, was going on.

"So, Gohan," Kibito said, taking his place opposite his opponent. "I hear you can become a Super Saiyan. I would very much like to see this power for myself."

Gohan wondered where, exactly, this guy had heard of the Super Saiyan transformation. He kept that question to himself, however, simply replying, "If you want, I can do you one better."

Kibito was beside himself with shock and, without thinking, said in an awed tone, "There's a level beyond a Super Saiyan?"

In the waiting area, the Prince of All Saiyans wondered just what this Shin guy and Kibito were after. They knew about Super Saiyans, and the latter wanted to see the power for himself. As if on cue, Shin said quietly, "Keep an eye on Gohan. When he transforms, I'm certain Spopovich and Yamu will try to attack him."

Before Vegeta could act, Kakarot spoke up, asking, "How do you know that?"

"They don't know it, yet," Shin said, lowering his head and narrowing his eyes. "But Gohan _is_ the one for whom they're searching. When they do attack, do not interfere."

"I don't know what you're worried about," Krillin said in a carefree voice. "But Gohan can take care of himself."

"You," Vegeta began, his voice taking on a slight edge. "Have got to be insane if you think we're going to just sit by and let those people attack one of our own."

"They don't want his life," Shin said easily. "Only his energy. It is imperative that they get it, only then will we know where their master is hiding."

"What the _hell-_" Vegeta began before he felt the ground shaking as Gohan transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan.

His urge to strangle the Mohawk-adorned dwarf next to him faded as he watched Spopovich charge the stage with some strange-looking device with a long, sharp point on the end in his hands. Before anyone, even Gohan could act, Spopovich jammed the sharp end into the middle of Gohan's back, causing the young man to yell out in surprise and pain. Gohan felt his ki draining rapidly and, soon, he reverted back to his normal state. He fell to his knees before he could even reach back and try to fight off his attacker. Soon, however, he was released.

"Got it, Yamu!" Spopovich barked triumphantly.

"Good," Yamu replied. "Let's take it back to the ship!"

As they flew off, Goku rushed to his son. Right on cue, Krillin was on the opposite side, giving Gohan a Senzu bean. Vegeta was about to say something when a voice came from behind them, saying in a worried voice, "What happened?"

It was Videl, rushing up to the scene. "That big guy," Cyborg 17 replied. "Stabbed Gohan with a thing that drained a lot of his power. Krillin gave him one of those magic beans, so he should be alright."

"We need to be after Spopovich and Yamu!" Shin breathed. "If they get too far away, this will all have been for nothing!"

"I'm..." Gohan began, getting up a little slowly. "Better now. I want to get that big guy back for what he did to Videl."

"First," the Prince said, moving closer to Shin and crossing his arms. "I think its time you told us who you _really_ are, you've kept us in the dark long enough."

"Vegeta-" Piccolo began in an affronted voice, before Shin interrupted him.

"You are correct, my apologies," he said with a hint of remorse. "I am the Supreme Kai."

"Whoa!" Kakarot said, astonished. "There's someone above the Grand Kai!"

"Indeed, there is," Supreme Kai said, nodding. "Kibito is my manservant and bodyguard. We've been tracking an evil wizard named Babidi." His expression darkened as he continued. "He plans to gather power from the fighters of this world and use it to unleash a great evil named Majin Buu on the cosmos. This is something that cannot be allowed to happen."

"I doubt that's the whole story," Vegeta said after a moment. "However, we have more pressing matters to attend to, and their names are Spopovich and Yamu."

"Indeed," Supreme Kai said with purpose. "We haven't a moment to spare! I implore you, will you help me stop this great darkness from befalling all creation?"

"Of course!" Kakarot said enthusiastically. "We'll stop this Babidi person!"

"Can we come, too, dad?" Trunks asked, tugging on his father's shirt.

"No," he replied sternly. "You and Bra are to stay here and keep your mother and the others safe, is that understood?"

"But-"

"No buts!" Vegeta insisted. "Do as I tell you!" He then put a hand on his son's shoulder, saying, "Your job is an important one. Please, both of you, keep your mother safe."

"We will, daddy!" Bra said, choking up a bit. "But you keep yourself safe, okay?"

"I will," he said, giving both his children a quick hug. "I promise."

"Goten," Gohan said, giving his brother a serious look. "I want you to do the same. Keep mom safe, alright?"

Goten groaned, but replied, "Okaaaaay. But, I want you to tell me all about this wizard when you get back!"

As Gohan nodded with a reassuring smile, Videl tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm going to stay here with them," she said in a somewhat wounded tone. "I don't think I'd be much help against those guys."

"Videl..." Gohan began, coming up short once again.

"Just stay safe, okay?" she asked, planting a kiss on his cheek and following up in a whisper, "I love you, Gohan."

"I love you, too," he whispered back.

The party was decided: Kakarot, Vegeta, Gohan, Sakura, Tien, and Piccolo would accompany the Supreme Kai and Kibito as they pursued Spopovich and Yamu to wherever this Babidi character was hiding. While the duo had a significant head start, their pursuers were much faster than they were, and had made a nasty habit of tracking their opponents across entire continents or, in Kakarot's case, across entire dimensions. To put it bluntly, unless the duo had some sort of ki blocking technology, which Vegeta wasn't even sure was a real thing, then there was nowhere on this planet they could hide...at least, not for very long.

"So," Goku said, flying next to the Supreme Kai. "Who _is_ this Majin Buu, anyway?"

"It is a horror that has existed since the dawn of time," Supreme Kai responded grimly. "Many eons ago, Bibidi, the father of Babidi, learned to control this monster and used it to wipe out almost all life in the cosmos. I am the only remaining Supreme Kai from that time, the rest died or were...consumed, by that monster before he was finally sealed away."

"I...I'm sorry," Goku replied in a sombre tone.

"They are gone, now," Supreme Kai said in a determined voice tinged with a small amount of hatred. "And, in order to honour their sacrifice, I will give everything to make sure that monster never sees the light of day again!"

"Don't worry, Supreme Kai," Goku said confidently. "You've got Earth's finest on the case!"

As they sped along, Vegeta moved in next to Gohan and Kibito. "So, who else can we expect at this little party we're going to be throwing for this Babidi?" the Prince asked the large, red man.

"Other than Spopovich and Yamu," Kibito said. "We do not know for sure. Babidi will surely have several powerful henchmen bent completely to his will, though. Be careful."

"Great," Vegeta said with distaste. "So, what you're saying is that, the two stooges aside, we're basically flying straight into a trap."

"Yeah," Gohan began before Kibito could answer, causing him to bite off his angry retort. "But, what other choice do we have?"

The look on Vegeta's face darkened as he said, "None, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

_This is not good_, the Prince of All Saiyans thought as they followed Babidi's bald goons into a remote mountain range. _For all we know, we could be flying right into a trap-laden kill zone._ Though there were no visible alternatives, the Prince hated being sent on what could very well turn out to be a suicide mission. He did what he could, though, and kept on his guard while advising the others to do the same. There was no telling what beasts would be awaiting them at their destination, and Vegeta was _not_ willing to take more chances than were absolutely necessary, especially when he had the sinking feeling that this was going to be a life-or-death matter.

Spopovich and Yamu landed in front of Master Babidi's ship, eager to see how well they'd be rewarded for the large amount of energy they managed to gather from that weird kid who turned his hair blonde. As they approached the entrance, it opened, revealing a towering, red-skinned figure in a blue gi and long, white cloak: Babidi's favourite, Dabura.

"We got a lot of energy!" Spopovich said excitedly, practically shoving the replete device into Dabura's hands. "Let's get it to the boss right away!"

Dabura looked up and narrowed his eyes, a move that confused the pair. "You morons!" he yelled angrily. "YOU WERE FOLLOWED!"

"What?" Yamu said, turning around.

"Huh?" Spopovich said dumbly.

"You have failed Master Babidi," Dabura said, raising a hand toward the pair of dumbstruck minions.

"Hey!"

"What are you doing?!"

A moment later, the two failures were turned to ash as Dabura awaited further orders from his master. _Very good, my Dabura_, Babidi said in his mind. _Now, who has come to play?_ Dabura allowed the small poke in the back of his mind through, letting Master Babidi see through his eyes. _Let's see, a couple of muscled up goons, a little girl, annd...WHAT?!_

_What is the matter, Master Babidi?_ Dabura thought through their psychic link.

_Of all the people...those two idiots just HAD to be followed by the Supreme Kai!_ Babidi practically yelled in his mind.

_He is not a threat, Master,_ Dabura sent. _The others are of no concern, either._

_No..._ Babidi began. _This might be useful. Buu needs more energy._ A small pop and the energy draining device was gone from Dabura's hands. _Show them who they're messing with!_

"Yes, Master," Dabura said obediently.

Up on the cliff, the party watched the exchange with shocked looks. "So, uhhh," Kakarot said, looking toward the Supreme Kai. "Who's the big, red guy?"

"It is worse than I had anticipated," Supreme Kai said darkly. "That is Dabura, King of the Daemon Realm. A powerful, proud warrior like him, under Babidi's spell..."

"Watch out!" Gohan yelled.

Before the others could react, Dabura appeared before the bald member of the group and opened his hand, firing a massive blast at the hapless intruder. "Master Babidi welcomes you to his abode," he said before kicking the young woman charging him in the stomach, sending her flying. "Allow me to show you the power of the Majin."

Piccolo was the next to charge, followed by a wounded, but unbeaten, Tien and an angry-faced Kibito. Dabura deftly dodged their attacks and, in an unorthodox move, spit on the three of them.

"Hey! What is this...?" Tien said as his shoulder began to solidify.

"He, he spit something...on...us..." Piccolo choked out before he turned completely into stone, falling to the ground next to Tien and Kibito's equally shocked-looking statues.

_YOU IDIOT!_ Babidi screamed into Dabura's mind. _We need their energy! You know what happens to those who dare disobey me!_

_Yes, Master Babidi,_ Dabura sent back remorsefully. _I will return immediately for my punishment._

_Not so fast,_ Babidi sent across. _Invite them in, let the others play with them for a while. Maybe they'll succeed where you so clearly failed._

"Yes, Master," Dabura said aloud before turning to the enraged group. "Master Babidi invites you into his abode. If you wish to fight me, you will have to follow me."

As Dabura flew away and entered the ship, Vegeta said, thinking aloud, "How about we just blow the ship to kingdom come and be done with it?"

"No!" Supreme Kai demanded. "You mustn't do that! You could disturb Majin Buu's container and release him! Above all else, _we cannot allow that to happen!_"

"Fair enough," the Prince said, lowering his hand.

The Supreme Kai sighed in relief. These Saiyans were an extremely rash lot, their love of fighting could very well spell their doom if they weren't careful. If nothing else, it seemed they could at least be reasoned with, which was more than could be said for many, many other warriors, many of whom had met unfortunate, painful ends when their battle lust got on the wrong side of the wrong person. _In fact, thinking on it, wasn't that what had happened to this Piccolo's people, at one time?_ Supreme Kai thought as they entered the ship. _They were once a proud warrior race, too, but most of them died during a massive, bloody civil war that nearly wiped out their entire species. I suppose it stands to reason that those who remained would embrace a more peaceful existence._

"Well, well, well," a voice casually drawled behind them as they descended to the first level of the ship. "Looks like Master Babidi sent me some new toys to play with!"

Suddenly, the entire place shifted and disappeared behind a strange haze. It was soon replaced with a red, desolate, pockmarked land with numerous planets and moons visible in the sky.

"My name is Pui Pui, and _this_," he said dramatically. "Is my home planet. I've won countless battles here and, as you might have noticed, the gravity is much greater than your planet's. Ten times greater! You don't stand a chance!"

The Prince of All Saiyans raised a single eyebrow. "Everyone," he said without fanfare. "If you don't mind, I think _I'll_ handle this one."

"Suit yourself, Vegeta," Kakarot said with a small laugh. "But, I get the next one!"

"Do you even _hear_ yourselves?!" Supreme Kai all but shouted. "This is serious! We need to think of a plan! Babidi's obviously gathered the most powerful warriors he could find!"

"No offense, sir," Gohan said with a slight edge, still reeling from the loss of Piccolo. "But, honestly, I don't think _they_ know what _they_ are getting themselves into, not the other way around. Vegeta can handle this guy, no sweat."

As Vegeta stepped forward and got into his fighting stance, the Supreme Kai stared at him and the others, completely bewildered. Pui Pui was the greatest mercenary his world had ever seen; no battle was too bloody, no target too innocent that there wasn't a price he'd accept. He'd even killed his own commanding officers more than once, and for no other reason than the other side paid better. It made sense for him to be under Babidi's spell, but this Vegeta was going to fight him alone! Did he not understand the threat this bewitched soldier of fortune posed?

"We're only after your boss," Vegeta said contemptuously as he easily blocked Pui Pui's attack with his forearm. "Leave now, and I won't humiliate you."

"Humiliate _me?!_" Pui Pui yelled, enraged. "You, you won't even be able to scratch me!"

The Prince took those last words as a challenge and, in a single, deft blow, knocked Pui Pui to his knees. "My fist begs to differ," he said nonchalantly. "Give up, I don't want to continue fighting a weakling like you."

With that admission, Pui Pui charged at Vegeta screaming. The Prince of All Saiyans simply moved to the side and stretched out his arm, clotheslining his foe before kicking him away. Vegeta appeared next to his prone so-called opponent and grabbed him by the face, asking in a tone that brooked no nonsense, "Must this be a fight to the death?"

"Master Babidi," Pui Pui said, coughing. "Demands it. I will not disobey."

"Very well, then," Vegeta replied, closing his eyes. Focusing his power between his hands, he used his ki to vapourize Pui Pui's head as quickly as possible. "I have no time to waste on peons."

As the room returned to its normal state and the hole in the floor opened up, the Supreme Kai stood in awe. Millions had died to Pui Pui in his numerous battles. Kings, generals, mighty warriors. Yet, this Vegeta had ended his life with such contemptuous ease. If the others were of similar, or perhaps even greater, strength, then they might just stand a chance. Indeed, Supreme Kai was beginning to understand that he'd sorely underestimated this planet's defenders. It was little wonder that some of them seemed insulted by the way he'd handled things: if he were in their position, he'd have been more than a little angry, himself.

"Man, Vegeta," Kakarot said as they descended to the next level below. "You didn't take any prisoners, did you?"

"Kakarot," Vegeta said warningly. "We have better things to deal with than peons like him. This Babidi has obviously enslaved these fighters, they will not disobey his orders, even if it costs them their lives. If our enemies are committed to battles to the death, then there is nothing more that can be done except to send them along their way quickly."

"You have a point, I guess," Kakarot said despairingly. "Still, though...you've changed a lot, Vegeta."

"Indeed," was all the Prince said as they landed. He didn't really feel that now was an appropriate time to open up to Kakarot...or that Kakarot was an appropriate person to whom he _should_ open up in the first place. There was too much history with him, history one simply couldn't ignore.

"So," Sakura said as the party waited for the door in front of them to open and reveal their next challenger. "Who gets to fight the next guy?"

"Hmm," Kakarot said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, I know! I'll guess a number between one and thirty! If either you or Gohan get it right, you fight him. If neither of you does, then I do!"

"Sounds fair enough," Gohan said.

"Alright!" Kakarot said after a moment. "I got it! Guess away!"

"Three!" Gohan guessed.

"Sixteen!" said Sakura just a second later.

"Aww, darn," Kakarot groused. "Sakura got it. Man, maybe I'll get to fight the next guy."

"You know," Vegeta said, sidling up to Kakarot. "You could've just said they were both wrong. Its not like they could've read your mind."

"Yeah," Kakarot said, sighing. "But, that wouldn't have been very fair. Besides, I think I'll like watching Sakura fight."

"Careful," Vegeta replied in as stern a voice as he could manage without laughing. "Chi Chi might start getting jealous."

"Its not like th-!" Kakarot began before he turned and saw Vegeta's extremely amused smile. "Vegeta...did you just tell a joke?"

"You tell me," he said with a laugh.

"What tasty morsels," a voice said from the doorway. "And strong, too. Heard you finally shut Pui Pui's big mouth. Good, I like my meat tough. My name...is Yakon."

What stood before them looked the world like an overgrown frog with long fingers ending in wicked claws and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. "Whatever," came Sakura's disinterested reply, doing her best impression of Mr. Vegeta. "Just come at me with all you've got."

Surprised at his speed, Sakura only barely managed to dodge the swipe of a single talon aimed straight for her throat. Then, the whole place went dark, like somebody had turned out the lights. Were it not for the feeling of stones under her feet, Sakura would've thought that the power here had simply failed. It was probably whatever trick it was that made the room like that other guy's home world.

"Aah," Yakon said, savouring the darkness. "Welcome to the Dark Star, my home. Without your tiny eyes to guide you, I wonder how long you'll last before I devour you..."

Sakura rankled at this, she did _not_ like being underestimated. "You really are stupid, aren't you?" was all she said before a loud crash echoed through the darkness as her fist connected with this Yakon's greasy-skinned face.

"But, how?" he asked, astonished.

"That's for me to know," another hard punch connected without a moment's hesitation. "And you to find out."

After a few moments, it was clear who was going to be on the losing side of this battle. Yakon's pained yells as Sakura used him as an overlarge punching bag echoed throughout the entire chamber, each one growing more strained than the last. "So," Sakura said, appearing behind Yakon. "Are you going to be another of those guys we can't get past without killing?"

"Master Babidi," Yakon said, breathing hard. "Said not to let you pass. He'd kill me if I disobeyed."

"So be it," she replied in a dark tone. With a stomach-turning crack, the light in the room returned. Yakon's motionless body laid in the center, his head twisted at an odd angle; Sakura had decided to simply break his neck.

"Well," Gohan said, moving up to the opening in the floor. "I guess let's go make our way to the next one."

"Hopefully," the Supreme Kai said, still slightly dumbstruck at the power these people were displaying. "This will be the last one."

As they landed, the party found themselves in the middle of a rocky field and, before them, stood Dabura. "You," he said, pointing at Gohan. "I challenge you, first."

"Great," Vegeta groused quietly. "Another opponent who thinks he's got us beaten before the fight's even started. I'd kill for a real warrior."

"I don't know," Kakarot said, sizing Dabura up as he and Gohan prepared to square off. "That guy's as strong as Cell was in his last form."

"Kakarot," Vegeta started, a hint of exasperation in his voice as blows thundered around him. "What _exactly_ do you think we've been doing these past seven years? We haven't been sitting on our asses all day, eating ramen and watching television. You're not the only one that knows how to train, you know."

Kakarot looked taken aback, before Sakura poked him in the chest accusingly. "Yeah!" she said. "You should know from the pounding I have _you_ that we haven't just been playing games all day long."

"Hey!" Kakarot said, laughing uncomfortably. "Ease up, I was only saying that we shouldn't take this guy lightly, that's all."

"I nearly shoved a ki attack through the Legendary Super Saiyan's heart," Sakura said, calming a little. "I know not to take strong opponents likely. Neither does Gohan. Even with all his studies, he's still been training hard at every opportunity."

"Really?" Kakarot replied, visibly shocked. "I thought Chi Chi would've had him hitting the books exclusively!"

"She would have," the Saiyan Prince said simply. "But, I told her that we might need Gohan, one day, to keep the world safe. Gohan himself said it'd be a way to honour your memory. Without all that training, you wouldn't be here, Kakarot. The world would've died several times over thanks to Arctic and Broly."

"Wow," Kakarot said after a few moments, astonished. "I didn't know...sorry for insulting you guys."

"You didn't know," Vegeta said calmly. "So I can't really blame you."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about over there?" asked a familiar voice. They all turned to see Gohan walking up to them, looking a bit confused.

"Wait..." the Supreme Kai began. "What?"

"The big guy," Gohan started. "Said they had a couple of warriors that were stronger than him, and they they'd be here shortly. Then, he took off. I tried to stop him, but he was only _just_ fast enough to get away from me."

"Two more powerful fighters?" Supreme Kai asked, now superbly confounded. "But, Babidi couldn't possibly have someone more powerful than Dabura!"

Two screams, one male, the other female, echoed throughout the chamber as the Supreme Kai looked at two prone, screaming figures with a look of realization and complete, utter horror.

**Author's Notes**

Awwwwwww shit! We're finally at the part I've been wanting to write since I went on that small vacation to visit my folks. I cannot tell you guys just how much I've been anticipating this, _this is gonna be good_. The long and short of it: yes, Babidi is trying to turn both Vegeta and Sakura. But...will they both turn, or only one? If its just one, then _which_ one? Hehe, you'll just have to find out after the next two chapters are done! Also, yes, the rest of the party got distracted by chewing out Goku or, in Supreme Kai's case, watching him _get_ chewed out. Talking might be a free action in the anime, but generally not here.

Now, on to a few specific questions/comments:

New fusions! Honestly, I don't know if I'll do that. This story _might_ feature Gogeta, at some point, but there were a few specific ideas I, unfortunately, have to refute...

Videl + Sakura. This violates one of the fundamental rules of Metamarese fusion, as I understand it: the fusees have to be of at least similar levels of power. Videl is close to Tien in terms of power, but Sakura is closer in power to Gohan. Unless Sakura drastically lowered her ki, the fusion likely wouldn't work and, even then, it'd likely be weak to the point of being utterly useless.

Bra + Trunks. Probably more feasible than Vikura, but Branks has another problem: the fusees aren't the same _gender_. At this point, Bra and her brother _are_ of similar heights and roughly similar power, but I don't think fusion between opposite genders (for gendered species) would work. Would the result be physically male, physically female, or a hermaphrodite? There's just too many questions and, in my mind, that would make the fusion far too unstable, even if it were successful, to use.

How will Buu be born? Now now, that would be telling, wouldn't it? I have a way planned out that I feel will be quite interesting, but I'm not gonna tell more than that. In the words of River Song: spoilers.

SSJ3 being useless. It depends on how much experience one has with the form, in my mind. While the power might increase somewhat linearly, the strain under which it puts the user increases exponentially and, thus, the time it takes to master the form increases on an exponential scale. SSJ1 doesn't seem to take much work to master: Gohan, a _child_, mastered it in the space of a year. Goku almost totally mastered it, to the point he was able to transform at will, within around 18 months. SSJ2 takes _years_ to master. Thus, SSJ3 might well take a decade or more before one's body is able to deal with the immense strain as well as it does the other two. However, its good in short bursts when one needs to quickly overpower an opponent, so its not completely useless. See how Dragon Ball Multiverse treats Trunks' giganto SSJ form for more information.

Giving Frieza credit. Frieza was strong, no doubt about it. However, I...don't really subscribe to the idea, canon or not, of him being equal in strength to Goku, in his base form, circa Battle of Gods. Maybe Goku's base around the beginning and/or middle of the Androids saga, but _definitely_ not Buu saga or beyond. It, to me, seems incongruous that a man whose power is recognized by _the gods themselves_ could be bested by a person who, according to Resurrection of F, doesn't even bother to train. Frieza has all the hallmarks of a person who was _born_ powerful: he's arrogant, he's condescending, callous, egotistical, megalomaniacal, and, when faced with an opponent superior to him, basically throws a tantrum like a three year-old. The smartest definitely has an advantage, but Frieza...well, he might have been clever, but like all great dictators, pride was his downfall.

Anywho, one final note: the "things I missed" special will probably be after Chapter Eleven, to give me more time to work out how to go forth from there. I'll catch you guys later for the next entry in The Prince Ascendant, Chapter Ten: The Prince Possessed!


	10. The Prince Possessed

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Ten: The Prince Possessed

_I see your heart, Vegeta_.

It was as if someone had driven a wedge into Vegeta's mind. A searing pain filled his head, one of such intensity that it would surely have killed a lesser man. It only took Vegeta a fraction of a second to realize what was happening: his mind was under attack and his body was responding violently to the brutal assault. What few thoughts he was able to cobble together as he screamed in agony surmised that this was the work of that wizard, Babidi. The Prince of All Saiyans fought against the violation tooth and nail...that was when the visions started.

Floating, disembodied, the Prince saw a young Saiyan boy with tall, spiky hair sitting in his space pod, hovering over an unsuspecting world. Next to him was a large, bald Saiyan in royal armour: Nappa. It took Vegeta a few moments to realize the youngster floating next to Nappa was himself, only he was just ten years-old. The planet over which they were hovering was Planet Jagaimo.

"So, Nappa," the younger Vegeta said in a bored tone. "Frieza said to blow this planet up, not subjugate it, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Nappa responded in his normal, gruff tone. "Something about their leader insulting him for the last time. Said it was just a pointless waste of space, at this rate."

"How boring," Vegeta the Younger said in a tone of despair. "I want to go down and fight these guys! What do you say, Nappa? Care for a little...sport?"

"Well," Nappa began, scratching his chin. "Frieza didn't explicitly forbid us from going down to have a little fun, first, so he can't get _too_ mad."

What followed after left the Vegeta of the present physically ill. The boy he once was and Nappa systematically annihilated all the largest settlements...and they were laughing the entire time, as if it were all just a game. Vegeta wanted to throttle the two of them, wanted to stop their genocidal rampage, but he couldn't seem to act in this dream world, much to his dismay. Instead he watched as yet another army was reduced to a heap of severed limbs and shredded sinew.

_Even as a child, you were a monster, weren't you, Vegeta?_ A voice in his head asked mockingly. It was Babidi, he was sure of it. Dabura's voice was a lot deeper, and he doubted the Daemon King had any mind control magic of his own at his disposal. Vegeta wanted to yell out that he wasn't like that, anymore, but he found that his lips refused to open, his tongue refused to move. _Not convinced, are we?_ The voice asked with a laugh. _Well, then, let's see what else we can find..._

The scene before him faded, and was replaced with an eerily similar scene. It was when he and Nappa were on their way to Earth...when they'd stopped by Planet Arlia. He was forced to watch, silently, as he and Nappa tore, both metaphorically and literally, through the Arlian king's royal guards for their own amusement. He could sense his younger self's sense of superiority, could almost watch as his ego was sated with every fresh kill. What was it Bulma said that was called? An...inferiority complex? That seemed to fit as he watched and remembered the dark spot in his mind that felt powerless in the face of Frieza. Tormenting and killing those weaker than him was a balm to his critically wounded sense of self.

Vegeta was peripherally aware of his ki surging and his aura flaring as he tried desperately to defend his mind.

"I am displeased with you, Vegeta," he heard in his mind before his focus returned inward. "You disobeyed me. I told you that planet was to be _conquered_, not destroyed."

Vegeta saw a lavender hand tipped with black fingernails strike his fifteen year-old self hard across the face before picking him up by his collar. He saw the form of his most hated enemy, Frieza, holding his younger self with a barely-hidden look of distaste on his face.

"You will _not_ disobey me again," Frieza said in a threatening tone. "You _will_ follow orders, _is that understood_?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Vegeta the Younger coughed out. "I won't disobey you again, I promise."

"That's more like it," Frieza said before tossing the boy on to his cot.

As the door closed behind the tyrant, Vegeta heard his younger self start to sob. He, of course, knew why the young man in front of him was crying: tomorrow was his sixteenth birthday, and his father wasn't alive to celebrate his ascendance to manhood. Vegeta might not have cared about many people in his younger days, but the Prince knew that there was a hole in his heart where King Vegeta, his father, once was...one that hadn't ever healed fully.

_Oh my, such a vulnerable little boy..._ The voice inside his head sneered. _Miss your daddy, do we?_

Vegeta's mind broke free of the spell for a moment, just enough to respond: _of course I do, you gibbering moron!_

_Recalcitrance!_ Babidi yelled into his mind. _We can't have that! I'll show you who's boss around here!_

Another sharp stab of pain shot through Vegeta's head, as if someone had thrown a spear through it. His back arched and he screamed as the vision in his head was replaced by another, this one more recent: his battle with Kakarot. The Prince of All Saiyans could keenly see every emotion playing across his face as he fought with the low-class warrior, the clown that would be king. The thrill of fighting a strong opponent, of the Saiyan's driving motivation in life, was strong, but there was another, something...deeper.

It was disbelief. Not only disbelief that this lowborn piece of trash, a person of such pathetic standing that he ought to be little more than cannon fodder, was actually managing to keep up with him, _son of the King_...but that this was one Saiyan who didn't kneel at the very mention of his name. A Saiyan that his title couldn't cow into submission. A Saiyan for whom respect wasn't automatically given. In the mind of his past self, Vegeta thought how such a thing shouldn't be possible. Even when he was a boy, those of lower birth would kneel at his command, polish his boots with their tongue if he demanded it of them. Even Nappa, tough brute that he was, submitted the his authority.

It drove a spike into his very perception of reality. That one realization, after this battle, would shatter his ego. No longer would he be the unstoppable force of nature he'd felt like when he annihilated small worlds populated by weak creatures. No longer was he the top dog amongst his kind. Being beaten by a combination of a peasant, his half-breed son, a midget, and an obese man with a sword had brought the Prince low, and it was a humiliation that would end up taking over a decade to reconcile.

Almost as if sensing his train of thought, the scene shifted to when he learned that it had been not him, but the clown, Kakarot, who had not only achieved the legendary Super Saiyan form, but had also destroyed the killer of their kind. It was...intellectually incongruous that such a thing had happened. It had been _his_ people the Frieza had killed, _his_ father that the bastard had murdered in cold blood. This moron didn't even know what his real name was until his own brother had told it to him. He thought he was human! Yet it was he, not the high-born Prince, that had brought the tyrant to justice.

Vegeta sat there, wondering what he could do now. Frieza had seemed an almost impossibly high target to reach, and Kakarot had exceeded even _him_! Now, he had to compete with another Saiyan, one that was almost ludicrously talented in battle, instead of the lazy, arrogant Frost Daemon that had made his life hell. The thought of being left behind by such...such _scum_ had enraged Vegeta, then. The Saiyan who knew not his place had bested him, and that stung. His pride wounded, Vegeta fled the planet when he'd learned he'd accidentally gotten that Earth woman, Bulma, pregnant. This was, of course, _after_ another Saiyan had proven that he, too, was capable of transformation. He needed time, and his panic drove him to take the ship Dr. Briefs had designed to the depths of space..to escape his worries and to escape his nightmares. He did not succeed.

_What have we here, hmm? A damaged ego? Scared of being a dad?_ Babidi said mockingly. _And you call yourself a Prince! A failure as a father, a failure as a husband...a failure as a son._

Through the pain, Vegeta's mind became clearer. _Go to hell,_ he said across the telepathic link.

_No thank you_, Babidi said flippantly. _I'm not a big fan of gigantic spikes and rivers of blood._

Vegeta wanted badly for the pain to be over. There was something Babidi had mentioned, something that struck a chord with him..._my son_, he thought.

_What do you think you're doing?!_ Babidi screeched inside his head.

Actively hammering his mind into order, Vegeta forced the scene to change. It fluctuated, at first, before quickly fading and being replaced with something quite recent. He was staring at his son and daughter, both sparring...as Super Saiyans. Pride, happiness, and love filled his heart as he saw his two children going at it with smiles on their faces. He could feel the vise-like grip on his mind weaken a little. Babidi was yelling incoherently in his mind, something about disobedience and causing him pain. It no longer mattered to the Prince of All Saiyans; he'd found what he needed to win, all he needed to do was push harder. For that, he needed something specific, something with a lot of power behind it...

The scene wavered and changed once more. The Prince was standing, exhausted and battered, at the edge of what was, at one time, the Cell Games arena. Kakarot had used his instant transmission technique to take Cell off world before he exploded, but a cold, ominous, ki-laden wind blew behind him, signaling Kakarot's failure. He watched, in slow motion, as the Death Beam attack raced toward his unaware son, eventually piercing his chest and going through his heart, striking him dead.

Just as it had then, Vegeta's mind was filled with righteous anger. The need to protect the people he loved filled his mind, and he felt his ki surge even higher than before. His senses back in the real world, he yelled at the top of his lungs as the ground beneath him shook violently. The threads of magic entangling his mind with Babidi's will were becoming stretched beyond capacity and, as suddenly as the assault had began, the magic binding his mind shattered with a brilliant, white light.

Panting heavily, Vegeta's mind began to lose some of its cloudiness. He heard someone else breathing heavily...it was Sakura. Looking to his right, he saw the young woman with her head clutched in her hands. Gohan was holding her, wrapping his arms around her back, trying to help the woman he'd come to view as a sister break the evil wizard's spell.

"Sakura, come on," Gohan said, tears streaking down his face. "You can do this! You're stronger than he is! You've got to fight!"

It all happened so fast...Sakura's limbs fell slack, revealing her face. A blank, yet hateful, look was in her eyes and her mouth was drawn in a slight scowl...on her forehead, a distinct "M" marking blazed.

"Gohan-!" was all the Supreme Kai could get out before a sickening, squelching sound came from where the young man was crouched.

**Author's Notes**

I know, this is a short one...the next one will likely be a bit short, as well. However, I thought they might serve as an interesting glimpse into the mind, and past, of our favourite Prince of All Saiyans.

Yes, Babidi is attacking both of them simultaneously. Maintaining the spell on two targets takes more magical power than just doing it with a single person, which is one of the reasons Vegeta broke free before he became a Majin. The other reason is that this Vegeta is a lot less insecure than he was in canon, meaning he's a much, much more difficult target. Dabura heard him and Sakura chewing out Goku and thought that, if these two were willing to put a man who positively reeked of goodness on the spot, then there _must_ be some darkness in them; it was a case of coming to the right conclusion for the wrong reasons.

I just wanna put this out there: the next chapter is going to be _extremely_ unpleasant. In fact, I'd go so far as to put a "Trigger Warning: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse" tag on it. I'm only going to be pulling enough punches to keep inside the T rating I gave this story. Honestly, I didn't expect I'd be writing something like this, but I feel its necessary to develop Sakura as a character and explain why she's turned. Again, **you have been warned.** One last time: I will not be fucking around with the next chapter.

On a lighter note, I created a Reddit thread for this story in the /r/FanFiction subreddit. seems to disapprove of links in stories and profiles, so look for "The Prince Ascendant by Hagunemnon" in Reddit's FanFiction section. If you've any questions or comments, feel free to post 'em there! I'll be able to respond more readily, thus making communication easier! Ain't that somethin?

Anywho, I'll check you guys later for the next part of The Prince Ascendant, Chapter Eleven: The Hate With Hazel Eyes. Take care!


	11. The Hate With Hazel Eyes

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Eleven: The Hate With Hazel Eyes

_[Hagunemnon here. In case you missed the author's notes for the last chapter, **this** chapter has trigger warnings for emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. I understand if you don't wish to read such things and, as such, feel free to skip this chapter, if you so choose. You might miss some character development and a few events, but nothing plot-critical will be missed if you decide to give this one a pass.]_

_You will be mine, Sakura._

It was as if Sakura had been living in a dream, only to wake up and find herself in a nightmare. She was barely cognizant of the ear-splitting pain in her head before her consciousness had been magically submerged into the inky black depths of her mind. She was standing in the middle of her village, seeing the horror on everyone's face as they looked forward and down, to the still body of their elder, Bezuru. That was when a voice Sakura had hoped never to hear again spoke...

In a chill tone, Arctic intoned, "This world belongs to me, now. If I am not welcome, then _you_ are not welcome. _Destroy them_."

The crowd around her turned into a panicked, screaming mob as shots began to ring out in the night air. Most of these people weren't fighters, and the few that were had been cut down like animals. Stray ki blasts hit the thatched roofs of the villages, quickly turning what was once a peaceful village into a raging, hellish inferno. Bodies filled the streets as Sakura ran. Children screamed, only to have their wails silenced with cold, hateful precision. Her mind blank with panic, Sakura continued to run, as fast as her legs could push her, as she trod through the corpses and blood-soaked streets. Her feet caught around some kind of sticky rope and she tripped.

What she saw nearly made her vomit: it was her parents. A ki blast had ripped open her father's abdomen...she had tripped on his intestines. Staring into their blank, glassy eyes in complete sock and horror, Sakura froze. Her parents, the nicest, kindest, best parents she could ever hope for were lying in the street, soaked in the blood of a half dozen of her friends. Her mind went totally numb, her limbs went slack, and she fell on her back as a stray kick from a running villager knocked her unconscious.

_No, this can't be happening again!_ She screamed in her mind. _Mom, dad, everyone...no! Please, stop this!_

_Ohhhh,_ an imp-like voice said gleefully in her mind. _It has only just begun, little girl. You will be once...once you break._

_WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH?_ She yelled once more. _Show yourself! I'll give you the death you **deserve**!_

There was no reply, as the next sensation she felt in this nightmarish world was of a hand picking her up by her arm. "Hey, boss!" a deep, grunting voice said. "Found one still breathin'! What should we do with 'er?"

She opened her eyes to see the hated features of the Frost Daemon, Arctic, staring at her with a calculating look. "You and your men can have her, I have no interest in her, except maybe as a servant," he said after several tense moments. "Don't kill this one, though. I refuse to deal with any more whining because you brutes have no finesse."

"Got it, boss!" the grunt said before turning to his men. "Good luck, boys! We got us a new little _friend_ to play with!"

A plethora of jeers, laughs, and catcalls rang out from the armoured troops. _Whoever you are_, Sakura thought darkly. _Wherever you are, I'll find you...when I do, I'm going to kill you slowly._

_Hoho,_ the little imp said with delight. _Such deliciously violent, **evil** words! I love it! Keep it up._

Her first day on the ship. She still remembered it, and it was now replaying itself in vivid, loving detail. One of the other maids, a woman with a mournful look in her eyes, had cleaned the blood and bits of bone and brain from her body, and burned her clothes.

"Lord Arctic," the woman said in a hollow voice as she handed Sakura a set of brown, loose clothes. "Commands that all servants wear this garment."

Still numb from shock, Sakura obeyed the implied command without thought. She was assigned to clean the quarters of the soldier who found her, known as The Captain. She was told where it was and what needed to be done and, shortly thereafter, was handed a small bucket containing cleaning supplies and was sent on her way. The Captain's quarters were a mercifully short distance from the servants' quarters, but Sakura still passed a few crewmen and suffered their disgusting leers. The Captain's room was, thankfully, reasonably well-ordered, but dirty. She set about, cleaning the floors, when she heard someone walk in from the door behind her.

"Well, well, well," the grunting voice said. "What have we here? A little bird come to my quarters?"

The Captain looked her up and down, and Sakura knew what she didn't then: the son of a bitch was sizing her up as his next "meal."

"You're a bit scrawny," he said as he took her measure. "But, I think you'll do _just_ fine."

In a moment he grabbed her wrist and pulled. Every part of Sakura's brain went into overdrive. _Resist! Resist, you idiot!_ However, her body didn't comply. Suddenly, she felt her foot connect with The Captain's chest, at which he laughed.

"Good," he said in a pleased tone. "I like 'em feisty."

It was over in a few minutes, but to Sakura, it had felt like decades had transpired. Every sensation was just as awful now as it had been back then. In her mind, Sakura was crying, screaming to be let out of this hell. _No more_, she begged. _Please, no more!_

_No,_ the imp said simply. _I let you free, and you'll fight. I have to make you docile before I put my leash on you._

The fury returned, the hate. _You will die **screaming**,_ she thought.

_And that_, the imp replied. _Is why you must be broken._

The days went by like months, at first. Between the horribly degrading chores and being...passed around between the men of the ship, it was all she could do to not turn her paring knife on her thigh. _Just one slice_, she thought some days. _One cut on my leg, deep enough, and it'd be over in a matter of minutes. _But, something stopped her. She wasn't sure if it was the thought of how her parents would react, or some small bit of hope that she might be rescued, but she could bring herself to take her own life...to die on this ship with the horrible men.

Some days, the men would content themselves with merely beating or berating her. Some would merely disrupt her work, forcing her to spend several more hours on a task that should've taken mere minutes. Arctic was by far the worst, however. It wasn't that he was belligerent or hateful, in all honesty, he never laid a single hand on her. No, it was that _look_ he gave her when he watched Sakura clean his quarters. That look that said "you belong to me."

The litany of torment went on and on in Sakura's mind as she was forced to relive every single day of the five years she'd lived as the slave of Arctic and his men. As the rest of the group tried to give Vegeta strength to resist Babidi's magic, Gohan wrapped his arms around Sakura as she screamed. A titanic ki, the likes of which he'd never felt from the young woman, shot forth from her body as she twisted and writhed in agony. Her golden aura was becoming flecked with bits of a threatening, dark purple. She needed strength the most, and Gohan was the only one of them that had their wits about them that knew it. He'd been there for some of her therapy sessions, giving her the strength to confront her inner daemons. The horror she'd described then seemed almost surreal; had they not been described by this young woman, he'd scarcely believe the tales he'd heard.

"Sakura," he said softly into her ear. "I'm here. It'll be okay. That's all over, now."

After reliving her final week aboard that ship, before she'd been escorted out to meet Vegeta, Sakura's mind went blank. Something inside her snapped, her mind had completely, utterly shattered under the strain of being forced to relive her five years with Arctic and his horrible, evil men. All semblance of normal thought was driven from her mind, there was only room for one overriding thought, one all-consuming emotion: hate. Babidi's magic had succeeded, but his instructions met with only silence. He'd yelled at his newest recruit to slay the Supreme Kai, but it was as if there wasn't a person there to speak with. Slowly, it dawned on him, and Babidi realized the mistake he'd made. He'd driven her mindless and his magic refused to properly function with a mind so totally broken.

Feeling the arms around her, Sakura knew only one reaction to her situation. Without even thinking, she drove a hand through the chest of the young man behind her. The same young man who had been trying to save her. Gohan coughed up blood on to her gi as he fell over and died. There were more things here. With lethal intent, she stood up and faced the...people and their strange looks. Operating on instinct alone, she charged.

**Author's Notes**

Another short one, and yeah, a very unpleasant one. As you can see, Majin Sakura's become quite a different beast from Majin Vegeta. Babidi wanted to break her will enough to where she would become manageable. Unfortunately, most especially for Gohan, he didn't realize the gravity of the horror he was inflicting on the young woman so, when she broke, all hell broke loose with her. I'll be delaying the Outtakes chapter by one chapter (it'll be 13 instead of 12) mostly because I _really_ want to write the next one.

I don't really have much to say except you can thank my exposure to Attack on Titan for this idea. I'll catch you guys later for the next chapter of The Prince Ascendant, Chapter Twelve: Bloodlust. Take care!


	12. Bloodlust

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twelve: Bloodlust

Vegeta was cognizant enough to realize what had happened before Gohan's body had dropped to the floor with a wet thud. Sakura's aura had turned an evil-looking purple and black lightning was arcing toward every surface nearby. The look on her face...it was totally blank, completely devoid of emotion. In those aqua eyes, the Prince of All Saiyans saw what the others were likely only guessing at: whatever Babidi had done had driven her completely insane. What's worse, it wasn't the cackling, gleeful murderous intent to which he was used, but something much more sinister. She was perfectly calm as she stalked toward the three men. Vegeta had seen that kind of hate only very rarely, and it was never a good sign. Sakura wasn't out to revel in carnage, she was simply out to kill.

He only had enough time to push Kakarot out of the way before he locked hands with the woman who used to be his student. "Sakura!" he plead desperately. "Snap out of it! We're not the enemy!"

Sakura looked at the Prince with focused eyes and replied in a distressingly deep tone, "Die."

Even in his ascended Super Saiyan form, Vegeta was hard-pressed to keep the young woman at bay. Whatever Babidi had done seemed to have caused her power to skyrocket, as she was displaying a level of strength he'd never before seen, not even in the pitched battle against Broly.

"You know!" Vegeta yelled in Kakarot's direction. "Feel free to jump in any time you'd like! It's not like this is a _battle or anything_!"

"Vegeta..." Kakarot said in an awed tone. "What happened to her? Why did she kill Gohan?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" the Prince screamed. "Whatever Babidi did to her drove her mad! NOW IS NOT THE TIME, KAKAROT!"

"Right!" Kakarot replied, transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan. "Sorry about that!"

Kakarot charged in and kicked Sakura hard in the side, just below her ribs, and sent her flying into the opposite wall. "Sakura!" he yelled. "Stop this! We don't want to hurt you!"

"Shut up," came the reply as Sakura freed herself from the wall. In an instant, she appeared before Kakarot and placed a hand over his mouth, and charged a ki blast. Thinking quickly, Vegeta fired off a ki blast of his own, forcing her to dodge, allowing the otherwise lethal ki blast she'd been charging to dissipate harmlessly. Sakura flared her aura and, as impossible to Vegeta as it may seem, her ki increased sharply yet again. This wasn't magic, he'd surmised, she was finally showing what she could do when all her limits were removed...and it frightened the Prince of All Saiyans.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said as he dodged a blindingly fast punch to the face. "If you have anything you've been saving, now might be a good time to use it!"

"I do, but..." Kakarot replied. "I can't use it. It'd suck up all the time I have left here, and I need all that I can get!"

"Damn," the Prince said in a disappointed tone. "I guess it's up to me, then. Kakarot, draw her attention!"

"Just knock her unconscious!" the Supreme Kai plead. "The more you fight, the more power Babidi gets to free Buu!"

Vegeta prepared himself as Kakarot drew the murderous young woman's attention with a Kamehameha that had only barely missed her right arm. "What the _hell_ do you think we've been trying to do, dumbass?" Vegeta said through gritted teeth. "Now, if you would be so kind, _shut the hell up_. I'm trying to concentrate!"

Vegeta reached into himself, reached for the power he knew he had, the power he now desperately needed. His ki responded eagerly, and he soon felt a familiar sensation as he began to transform into a Super Saiyan 3. Moments later, the painful transformation was complete, and both Kakarot and Sakura stopped their fight to look at the source of the ki that had just utterly dwarfed them.

"Whoa!" Kakarot said excitedly. "You can do it, too, Vegeta?"

"Not the time," Vegeta said simply as he charged the insane young woman. Something in her eyes had changed: no longer was there the blank look and murderous glare. She'd taken on a...calculating, appraising look. If this were another time, the Prince would be happy to see his student's faculties slowly returning, but he couldn't hold this form for long, and he couldn't afford to waste time. Sakura charged him, and Vegeta responded by forcing her stomach to collide at high speed with his forearm, sending her flying back into the wall behind her. As she pulled herself free, Vegeta appeared beside her and, with a quick blow to the back of the neck, knocked her unconscious.

Reverting back to a normal Super Saiyan, Vegeta took Sakura in his arms and laid her down gently on the ground. "Kakarot," he said in a quiet voice. "Can you take these two somewhere safe? Somewhere we can keep an eye on her?"

"I think so," Kakarot said, picking up Gohan's body in one arm and Sakura's unconscious form in the other. "I'll take them to the Lookout. It's...too late for Gohan," he said in a pained voice. "But, Dende might be able to fix whatever Babidi did to Sakura, at least."

"Good," Vegeta said in a sombre tone. "We'll wait for you here. And, Kakarot?" he asked as the man was putting his fingers to his forehead, preparing Instant Transmission. "I'm sorry about Gohan."

"Me, too, Vegeta," he said sadly. "Me, too."

After Kakarot vanished, the Prince turned to the Supreme Kai and asked, in a very serious, angry tone, "Where is this Babidi?"

"On the level below us, I believe," Supreme Kai answered. "Why? What do you plan?"

"When Kakarot returns," Vegeta said seriously. "If that port in the floor doesn't open, we're blowing it open."

"But," Supreme Kai said in an urgent tone. "If you do that you could disturb Buu's container! You could cause him to awaken prematurely!"

Vegeta had had it. He picked up the Supreme Kai by the collar and practically screamed in his face, "A man I considered a son in everything but blood was just killed by a woman I thought of as a second daughter! This bastard Babidi is responsible! I will not sit on my ass and take the slow, peaceful route to getting to him! WE ARE BEYOND THAT!"

Vegeta put the Supreme Kai down and added, "We are going to end Babidi. We are going to kill Dabura. And we are going to destroy this Buu! Is that understood?"

"I suppose I have no choice," Supreme Kai said sourly. The power this Vegeta had thrown around when he knocked the young lady out surpassed his own many hundred times over. "Besides," he added, attempting to mend his bridges where he could. "If Babidi decides to stonewall us, which is quite likely, by now, we'll have little choice."

After a few tense moments, Kakarot returned. "Dende says he'll take care of them," he said. "Mr. Popo fetched some of the Sacred Water we used to beat Garlic Jr...hopefully, that will at least give us back Sakura."

"Good," Vegeta said in a decisive tone. "They might also be able to fetch a Senzu bean for her. She'd be a valuable ally, and I doubt she'd have a problem helping us get justice for Gohan."

Kakarot looked up, and a subdued smile came across his face. "I just got word from Dende, the Sacred Water worked, and Mr. Popo is getting something to heal Sakura as we speak," he said. "Think we should wait for her?"

"I need to speak with her," Vegeta replied evenly. "Ensure that guilt is placed properly."

"Should I come along?" the Supreme Kai asked.

"One of us needs to stay here," Kakarot said after a moment. "My Instant Transmission doesn't work unless I have a ki signature to lock on to. I can't seem to feel anything beneath us, so I can't use anyone down there."

"Very well," Supreme Kai responded, bowing slightly. "I'll wait here for your return."

"Don't worry, Supreme Kai," Kakarot said in a bright tone. "We'll keep an eye on you and make sure you stay safe!"

The Supreme Kai nodded and his face relaxed a bit. After a moment, Vegeta and Kakarot were on the Lookout. Gohan's body had apparently been brought inside to get it some place more secure, there were barely visible blood spots leading into one of the right-most chambers in the Guardian's Palace. As Kakarot and Dende discussed things, Vegeta made his way toward a stricken-looking Sakura.

"Sakura," the Prince said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What do you know of what happened?"

"Everything," she choked out.

Vegeta sat beside his student and asked her, simply, "Who do you feel is responsible for Gohan's death?"

"I am," Sakura said sadly.

Vegeta shook his head, something the young woman beside him noticed. "You are wrong," he said kindly. "Your actions were the result of some else's...tampering with your mind. Do you know who did that?"

It took a few seconds for Sakura to put the pieces together, but eventually, she did, and responded in a dark voice, "Babidi."

Vegeta nodded solemnly, saying, "Yes. What you did isn't your fault. The one that killed Gohan was the same man that violated your mind. We can bring Gohan back with the Dragon Balls, but," he continued firmly. "We need you. We need your strength."

"But!" Sakura started with a panicked look in her eyes. "What if Babidi does it again? What if he...I don't want to be like that again!"

Vegeta lowered his head and narrowed his eyes before he said, "We'll kill him before that happens."

"No," Sakura said in an angry voice. "I will kill him. I will be the one to get justice for Gohan."

"Are you ready?" he asked. Sakura nodded, and the Prince continued. "Then, let's get going. We don't want to keep big, bad Babidi waiting, now do we?"

A vindictive smile arched across Sakura's lips. Vegeta could tell she was still troubled by what had happened, and she'd likely need more than this once all was said and done, but for now, she was okay and, more importantly, she was ready and willing to fight.

"Hey, guys!" Kakarot called out. "I just got a message from King Kai! He managed to pull some strings and got Gohan a place on the Grand Kai's world! King Kai says he's training hard with Pikkon, right now!"

"That's good," Sakura said with no small amount of relief.

"I think we should get back to our little excursion, now," Vegeta said, smiling. "It would be rude to keep our guest waiting any longer."

"Everyone ready?" Kakarot asked as they put their hands on his shoulder. At their nods, he used his Instant Transmission to return to where the Supreme Kai was waiting, patiently.

"Sorry that took so long!" Kakarot said apologetically. "We've got things squared away, now, so let's get back down to business."

"I couldn't agree more," Supreme Kai replied, nodding.

"Supreme Kai," Vegeta said, thinking on the man's words from earlier. "If, instead of simply blowing that door up, what if Sakura, Kakarot, and I made holes at three points and you kicked the door in?"

"That would have less of a risk of disturbing Buu's container," the Supreme Kai said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"It might not be as impressive an entry," Sakura said as she took her position. "But it's still sure to give them one hell of a shock."

"Ready?" Vegeta asked. Seeing their nods of assent, he cried, "Go!"

Three simultaneous ki blasts left large holes in the cover in the floor and, a moment later, the dull thud of foot on metal was heard, followed by the sounds of twisted metal falling down a particularly long shaft. Without a word between them, the quartet jumped down the passageway between where they were and the mastermind of this whole operation: Babidi. The Prince thought, as he descended, on Kakarot's astonishment with his Super Saiyan 3 form...and on the fact that he implied that he, too, had achieved it. _It figures_, he thought somewhat bitterly. _I think I have an edge and then Kakarot goes and closes the gap._ Still, though, he might have more experience with it. Even if he didn't, their prospective future battle would likely come down to brains and durability, and Vegeta excelled in both those areas, so he could well win against Kakarot, though it'd be a close thing.

As they landed, the party was assaulted by a voice shouting, "How dare you just barge in here like a bunch of thugs!"

They turned to face the source of the annoying noise and saw a short, yellow-skinned alien with skin like a prune and large, protuberant eyes. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the little man and asked, an edge evident in her voice, "Are you Babidi?"

"You..." the wizard responded in a curious tone. "You're the one that gathered all that energy in such a short time! I do wonder how you broke free of my control, but it's no matter, Buu should be ready very soon."

"Answer," she said through gritted teeth. "The question."

"Who else would I be, stupid girl?" Babidi demanded impatiently.

"Good," she replied with mock lightness. "I wanted to make sure I was strangling the right person."

"You wha-?" Babidi said before a lightning fast hand grabbed him by his throat. "Dabura," he choked out. "Help!"

Sakura sensed the Daemon King charging her and, transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan in an instant, sent the arrogant monster flying, unconscious, into the far wall. "How dare you," she began, staring into Babidi's frightened eyes. "How DARE YOU put me through that again! YOU MADE ME RELIVE THAT HELL!" Sakura was screaming, now, rage and pain plainly evident on her face. "Every single FUCKING day of it for FIVE. FUCKING. YEARS."

"No..." Babidi said, air quickly becoming a precious resource on which he was running all too low. "I have no... paparapapaaaaaaaa..." Babidi intoned, waving his hands at the bulbous, veiny, brown egg.

"This is for Gohan," Sakura said in a vicious tone before breaking the wizard's neck. She barely heard the strangled gasp from the Supreme Kai before she heard hissing coming from the egg.

"No," Supreme Kai said, falling to his knees in despair. "We failed. It's all over. We're all going to die. We're all doomed..."

"What's happening, Supreme Kai?" Kakarot asked as smoke started to billow out from Buu's egg.

"Majin Buu..." he started, on the edge of tears. "He's free."

"Like hell he is," Sakura said with a hint of finality. "Mr. Kakarot, Mr. Vegeta, let's power up and blast this son of a bitch to kingdom come."

"Right!" Vegeta replied loudly.

A trio of powerful ki blasts later and a massive hole was opened up in the ship, leading to the badlands outside. The egg, Majin Buu's container, had split open, but nothing was inside it. The Saiyan trio were about to celebrate their victory when the Supreme Kai looked up and let out a gasp of horror, pointing toward a pink cloud in the sky. "We're all going to die," he said in a strangled whisper.

Slowly, a ki signal emerged from the cloud as it began to condense. Unbeknownst to the party, Dabura had woken up, and was also too distracted by the spectacle before him to act. It was slow and halting, at first, as if something in the cloud was resisting whatever was bringing it together. However, after a little under a minute, the pink cloud started to take form. From a large, round centre sprouted crude facsimiles of arms, legs, and a head. The cloud shuddered for a moment before a bright light nearly blinded the spectators. As the smoke and light cleared, a strange creature floated in the sky. It was...odd, to say the least: a fat, dumpy-looking creature that looked vaguely like a human, were it not for the bubblegum pink skin and small antenna protruding from its head. Its eyes appeared constantly shut, but its face was in a wide, happy grin. The yellow gloves and boots, as well as the loose, white pants, black vest, and purple cloak turned this already strange-looking creature into something utterly bizarre.

"This..." Dabura said, now free from that damned wizard's control. "Is the great Majin Buu?"

"It is," Supreme Kai affirmed in a sick tone. "I'd recognize that horrible visage anywhere."

"He doesn't look all that tough to me," Kakarot said jovially.

"Don't let appearances deceive you," the Supreme Kai said cautiously. "That monster has wiped out entire star systems."

Majin Buu stopped his odd little warmup dance and peered intently at the dumbfounded group before him. "Are you guys strong?" he asked in a disturbingly childlike voice.

"This," Dabura said, disbelief plain in his voice. "Is what that wizard was wanting to free? This ugly, pink behemoth?"

"You call Buu ugly?" Majin Buu asked in an angry tone. "You not very nice! Buu no like you!"

"The feeling," Dabura said. "Is mutual, you infantile beast."

"Youuuuuuuuu…" Majin Buu said, drawing his face into a frown. "You make Buu angry! Buu smash you!"

"I'd like to see you try," the Daemon King replied, dropping into a ready stance before turning to the party next to him. "When I'm done with him, I'm going home. Count your blessings."

Dabura charged Buu, who was standing there, frowning and emitting some kind of weird steam from his body. The Daemon King's first attack connected easily, going almost straight through Buu's stomach. It would've been an impressive attack, had Buu actually moved. Alas, Buu hadn't been moved an inch, and only looked Dabura in the face with an evil smile.

"You big," Buu said playfully. "But you not that strong."

"What'd you say?!" Dabura yelled.

Buu punched Dabura square in the face, sending the Daemon King flying backward. As he righted himself, Dabura growled defiantly before summoning a sword into his right hand. There was no way this childlike tub was getting the better of him! He dodged Buu's follow-up strike and sliced clean through the beast. It was too easy, flesh usually put up far more resistance than that when cut. As he watched, horrified, the top half of Majin Buu floated on top of his bottom half and the two parts fused as if nothing had happened. There wasn't even a rent in Buu's clothing where he'd cut him! Thinking quickly, Dabura sent a torrent of his flame breath after this impossible monster, hoping that incineration would succeed where bisection had failed. As the smoke cleared, it was plain that fire had been even less effective than his blade, not even Buu's clothes had been damaged! Before he'd had a chance to use his last technique, his Stone Spit, Buu charged him and gave him a savage beating about the head and gut that left him physically and mentally drained.

"I'm getting bored, now," Buu said in a somewhat morose tone. "I think I turn you into something tasty now. How about cookie?"

As he tried to get up, Dabura saw a pink stream of energy from this Buu's head antenna streak toward him. Before he could react, it hit him, and immense pain filled his body. The last sensation the Daemon King experienced before he died was his body contorting painfully and shrinking. In his place, there lay a cookie that bore his unmistakable likeness in its features. Buu picked up the cookie and ate it greedily, savouring the sweetness.

"Did he just…" Sakura said, coming up short.

"Yes," Vegeta confirmed, equally dumbfounded. "I believe he just turned Dabura into a cookie and ate him."

"What." Kakarot contributed flatly.

As Majin Buu did a small victory dance, the Prince of All Saiyans got the distinct impression that this monster hadn't even begun trying, yet. With a sense of dawning comprehension, the Prince realized that their combined power might not be enough to beat this foe. Vegeta hoped he was wrong, but something about this creature, this Majin Buu, made him deeply uneasy. _This_, he thought grimly. _Is about to get messy._

**Author's Notes**

Again, a bit shorter than what had become normal, but I'm sure there will be more for the others. The main story (sans notes) clocks in at around 3,400 words, which isn't too bad. The beginning of this chapter might confuse some, but to allay that, allow me to explain a few things…

Sakura, normally, isn't as strong as a SSJ2 as Vegeta is when in the same state. However, that is largely due to factors such as inexperience in the form and mental blocks regarding it and the amount of bloodlust it causes her to experience due to her past trauma. Sakura had been mind-raped by Babidi (no other way to interpret it, really) into becoming, for a while at least, a near-mindless husk with one overall desire: to kill. Without those mental blocks, she was able to dig far deeper into her power reserves and put her on an equal (if not slightly superior) footing with Vegeta. With Goku…well, Goku almost _always_ holds back. Even against Beerus, the God of Destruction who had, in no uncertain terms, said he'd destroy the planet if Goku failed, Goku _openly admitted_ to holding back.

Goku was aware of how his ki expenditure would shorten the time he had on Earth. Goku isn't stupid, and he realizes that, when a threat presents itself, he needs all the time he can get, hence his reticence in going SSJ3 to subdue Sakura. Vegeta was under no such limitations and, thus, _did_ go SSJ3 and overpowered Sakura.

Also, the Sacred Water is explicitly stated to work against forms of mind control, which in my mind, would include Babidi's magic. Mr. Popo was aware of what had transpired during the Garlic Jr. saga and, thanks to some quick thinking, remembered it and the fact it might be a solution to the problem at hand. Sakura is going to need…well, to put it bluntly, she's going to need therapy when this is all done, even after Gohan's resurrected. The idea that you're not only capable of killing someone you see as a brother, but having actually done so, is extremely disturbing and, though it hasn't hit now, it _will_ hit Sakura eventually. Not all trauma is immediate.

That's it, for now! I have some ideas of who might end up getting the mystic power up…it might still be Gohan, but then again, it might not be. Gohan, in canon, was largely chosen due to convenience and power. Now, there's at least two (maybe even three) other candidates that are equal to or, in the case of at least one of them, greater in terms of power, if not purity. Anywho, I'll catch you guys for the Chapter Thirteen Outtakes Special and, after that, Chapter Fourteen of _The Prince Ascendant_, Desperate Times! Take care!


	13. Outtakes, Volume One

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Thirteen: Outtakes, Volume One

_Preface_

This chapter contains bits that I missed from (or between) other chapters. It's mostly exposition and character development that I, as well as some of my reviewers, think was either missing or a little rushed. While this chapter isn't critical to understand the overall plot, it does help flesh out the characters and their evolution, which some readers may find enjoyable. If this isn't your thing, then Chapter Fourteen will mark the continuation of the story proper as Vegeta and Pals deal with the threat of Majin Buu, the freaky monster that turns people into food.

_**Outtake One: Training Day**_

_[The events of this outtake are placed between Chapters One and Two. This should help flesh out some of Vegeta's character development between the two chapters and why he seems more heroic and less pointlessly antagonistic.]_

"The boy is late," Vegeta grumbled to himself. It'd been a week since Kakarot's funeral, and his son was due to start his weekend training with him today. Just then, the door to the gravity chamber opened, revealing a boy in a purple gi with messy hair: Son Gohan.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Vegeta!" he cried out. "Mom wouldn't let me leave without giving me two dozen different rules to follow."

"Hmph," the Prince replied. "Do not delay again. Training begins now."

Transforming into a Super Saiyan, Vegeta dropped into a ready stance and beckoned Gohan toward him. If this boy was half the warrior his father was, then he'd make an excellent tool to gain so much power that he'd far outstrip Kakarot, so far that the clown would have no hope of ever catching up. As they traded blows, Vegeta noticed the boy was clearly holding back, a weakness he'd picked up from his father. After a particularly pathetic blow to the chest, the Prince swatted the boy away like an insect.

"Take this seriously!" he yelled commandingly.

"Mr. Vegeta?" the boy asked, confused.

"You're training to fight," Vegeta stated with exasperation. "Not attend an Earthling girl's tea party! Strike like you mean it!"

"Dad wouldn't have-!" the boy began before being hit hard in the chest, forcing the air from his lungs.

Picking the boy up by his collar, Vegeta said angrily, "I am not your father! I will not coddle you like that weakling Kakarot so obviously did. Do not expect me to take it easy on you, because I will not!"

Something he said seemed to have done it, the boy's power flared and he kicked Vegeta hard in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

"My dad's not weak!" the boy demanded.

"Defending your father's honour, huh?" Vegeta asked mockingly. "If you're going to be so insistent, then _bring it, boy_."

The boy's insistence that his father wasn't a weakling and a fool seemed to drive him to fight harder. The boy had some Saiyan fire in him, after all. So it went, whenever the boy would start to slack off, Vegeta would goad him and draw him out of his "timid scholar" act. Every time he did, the boy would give him a real fight. The Prince of All Saiyans, however, wasn't a stupid man, nor was he unobservant. Something was driving that boy more than mere taunts. Maybe his failure to kill Cell had wounded his pride…_his pride_. The more Vegeta thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more it made sense, the more he realized that the boy was reacting almost like he had when Kakarot had beaten him when he first came to Earth. The boy had been denied a chance to prove himself, just like the chance to do so against Kakarot had been done to him so many times before.

When the boy fought as an ascended Super Saiyan, his kindly veneer fell almost completely. He was getting used to the form, but the more his normal personality started to seep into his new form, the less powerful he seemed to become, and the less efficient his attacks were. This would not do. The Prince vowed to ensure that the boy became _more_ powerful with time. It was then that a realization hit him: he wasn't just training to become the best, anymore. No, he was training to make Gohan the best he could be, as well. He was seeing potential in the boy, he was seeing why Kakarot had said that Gohan could kill Cell.

However, another transformation was taking place, this one inside the Prince's own mind. The lessons he'd learned when he was a boy were starting to make sense, now. Time was, he thought being a mere warrior was the path to true power, but…what if he was wrong? Time and time again, his tutor would try to impress on him the importance of one's comrades, of being a _soldier_. Time and time again, the advice would fall on deaf ears. Relying on others was a sign of weakness, wasn't it? Wanting to help people meant you were small…right? As he trained with the boy, with Gohan, Vegeta realized that the way of the warrior was full of flaws. No one person could be the best at everything, the times when Gohan gave him an honest run for his money was proof of this.

As the weeks passed, the Prince realized that there was nothing wrong with mutually beneficial agreements, with helping others. He began, more and more, to adopt the way of the soldier, of building up one's unit so that, together, the combined whole could do what a single warrior could not. His old self would be admonishing him, right now, telling him that such things were foolish in the extreme. That others couldn't be trusted with such things. However, as he drew Gohan out of his shell, Vegeta realized what a lie that was. Vegeta wasn't a stupid man, he knew that, when one way didn't work, then trying something else might yield superior results. He'd turn this shy little boy into a force to be reckoned with. Together, they'd help fill in the gaps in the other's defenses, and learn to work together as a whole. Perhaps, with Gohan's help, he could achieve what he couldn't do alone: he could well and truly become a greater man than Kakarot. Maybe Kakarot's friends had been right when they'd called him…hero. The title felt good. Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans, Saviour. Yes, it would be a hard road, but the easy path is rarely the best one. _Let's see if I can't beat Kakarot at his own game_, Vegeta thought as he entered the gravity chamber where Gohan was waiting to begin their training once more.

_**Outtake Two: Therapy**_

_[The events of this outtake are between Chapters Three and Four. This one's a look at what Sakura had to go thru to become who she is, currently. This one will be quite emotional, but this is what I'd had in mind when I imagined her therapy in the first place. Treating the mental scars after a __**single**__ rape are a difficult enough task, but treatment for five years of it is a herculean task. Hopefully, I handled it realistically enough…if I didn't please let me know.]_

"Tell me, Sakura," Dr. Ward said as she walked through the doorway into the girl's room. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine," Sakura responded in a slightly flat tone. To be honest, Sakura didn't know _how_ she felt, anymore. It'd been just over six months, according to the calendar Gohan's mother had put in her room, since Lord Arctic had been killed and she'd been whisked away to this place by Gohan and Mr. Vegeta. For the past five years before then, she'd been running on almost complete auto-pilot, simply doing what she was told and letting what happened to her happen. She ate when it was time to eat, washed when it was time to wash, and slept when it was time to sleep. It was a simple life, and it'd been all she had known for so long, she hardly knew any other way to live.

"What do you want to talk about today, Sakura?" Dr. Ward asked her in a kind, yet sincere voice.

Sakura thought hard. There were a lot of things she thought might be good to talk about, but…talking about what she'd been through was difficult, at times outright impossible. During the early days, it had been Dr. Ward that had done the talking. She told Sakura that what had happened to her wasn't her fault, that she didn't deserve what she got, that the ones who were to blame were the men who did those awful things to her. It took a long time before she could believe that. It was so easy to think that she could've done something, but…maybe that just wasn't true. Maybe she could no more have helped what had happened than she could help the fact the sun rose in the east. Dr. Ward called what she'd been trying to teach her "acceptance." It was a difficult thing, but at the same time, this acceptance had felt freeing, in a way.

"My parents," came Sakura's quiet reply.

"What were they like?" Dr. Ward asked.

"They were kind. They taught me how to read and write," Sakura said, each word coming slightly easier than the last. "Being with them, I felt so safe…so secure. With them…I was happy."

"Does it hurt to remember them?"

"Yeah," Sakura replied somewhat lamely. "It's like, some days, I wake up, and I expect to find myself back in my bed, hearing my mother tell me that breakfast was ready. Then, I remember…I remember that they aren't coming back."

As she started to cry, Dr. Ward put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sakura," she said gently. "Let it out."

"Arctic and his men," she choked out through the sobs. "They were killing everyone. I ran, I ran as fast as I could, and I tripped. I tripped…I tripped on my dad's entrails!" Sakura was wailing now as the memories flooded her mind. "I saw him and mom lying there, all mangled, and their _eyes!_ I can't get their eyes out of my mind!"

Dr. Ward pulled Sakura into a tight embrace, gently shushing her. "It'll be alright, Sakura," she said in an uneven voice.

Like many of their sessions, Dr. Ward gave Sakura quiet comfort as she bawled her eyes out. There was something about that act, about crying, that lifted a small weight in Sakura's mind, when she was done. It was as if she'd been hollowed out and allowed to drain. Talking about her experiences before and during her…life with Arctic always left her exhausted by the time she and Dr. Ward were done. However, as much as it hurt, it also helped her come to terms with what had happened. As time wore on, the sadness and pain when she thought about her parents were replaced with anger. After she'd broken down and told Gohan and Mrs. Chi Chi everything that had happened some ten months after she'd been rescued, she started to feel less like a swimmer drowning in the midst of a massive current. Sakura had begun to understand that these people, not just Gohan and his mother, but Mr. Vegeta's family, too, genuinely cared about her. They had become a new family, for her, and it felt good knowing that they were there to help her, as well.

Mr. Vegeta was…an interesting man. He was always kind to her, but he didn't coddle her, either. This was especially highlighted when she started training with him. He'd helped correct flaws in her stances, helped her become stronger, and was always ready to give advice where it was needed, but he also wasn't afraid to tell her when she was making mistakes, either. Mr. Vegeta was a proud man, there was no doubt about that, and he was a bit gruff, too. As strong as little Trunks had gotten in such a short time, she figured Mr. Vegeta had good cause to be proud.

"Mr. Vegeta," Sakura began one day after their training. "What was the King…your father, like?"

Vegeta started a bit at this question, one he honestly hadn't been expecting, especially out of the blue. "He was," he said, trying to get his thoughts right in his head. "Proud. Proud to be a Saiyan, proud to be my father. He cared for me after my mother died. He wasn't always the nicest man, but he did _try_ to teach me what I needed to know. At times," he started in a more sombre tone. "I wonder what it would've been like had he been able to raise me himself."

"I'm sorry-"

Vegeta put his hand up. "It isn't your fault," he said. "Frieza was the one that killed him and destroyed our world, and _he_ was brought to justice. I lost him a long time ago, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't still miss him, some."

"Does it ever get easier?" Sakura asked in little more than a whisper.

"In time," Vegeta said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But, there will always be a part of you that misses them, that's normal. I think your parents would be proud of you, Sakura."

She looked up at the man that'd become like a second father to her with wet eyes, asking, "You do?"

The Prince nodded solemnly. "I do," he said gently. "You've grown a lot since you started living on Earth with us. You're not as scared as you used to be. You're a strong young woman and you've become an excellent fighter. I have little doubt that they're grinning, right now, seeing how far you've come. They're proud of you, just as I am."

Sobbing slightly, Sakura hugged Vegeta, startling him a little. "Thank you," she said after a short moment. "I needed that."

"I meant it, Sakura," the Prince of All Saiyans said a little unevenly. "Every word."

It was then that she learned that Mr. Vegeta was doing more than just turning her into a good fighter. He was, in his own way, trying to help her heal from her past by training her so she could be strong enough to face her future. From a few oblique hints Mr. Vegeta had given, it seemed like this world was a magnet for powerful, deranged lunatics. Besides, she needed to be strong. If one person could be like Arctic, then it stood to reason that there would be more. One of the "mathematical laws" she'd studied, thanks to Bulma's gift, called the "Law of Large Numbers" seemed to imply that such a thing was inevitable…and the universe was a big place. She might not be able to protect the entire universe, but she would do what she could for her little corner of it. It was then that Sakura realized that she had begun to think of Earth as her home. Even more shocking was that she had, without her even knowing it at first, garnered friends. Granted, they were friends of Gohan and Mr. Vegeta, but they welcomed her as if she were one of their own.

Master Roshi and Mr. Yamcha seemed to be a bit…enamored with her, but they wisely kept that to themselves. Sakura honestly didn't know how she'd respond to any advances. The memories were still too raw for her. The last thing she wanted to do was unintentionally offend them by having a panic attack when one of them made a pass at her. They still complimented her on her appearance, which felt good, but they always kept it at that. The few times Master Roshi nearly slipped, Mr. Krillin or Cyborg 18 would encourage him to keep his mouth shut, usually by discreetly stamping on his foot or kicking him in the shin.

Working with Mrs. Bulma and her father was…educational, to say the least. She could scarcely understand half of what they were saying when the two of them started getting technical, which usually happened when they got excited about whatever it was they were doing, but the fact that they included her at all was a nice feeling. Besides, she wanted to be smart like Mrs. Bulma, the woman was a certified genius. From just a single Dragon Ball, she said, she'd managed to isolate their unique electromagnetic radiation signature and created a detector that could pinpoint their location, anywhere in the world, to a 10 square meter area. That she not only managed to make something like that, but make it small enough to fit in one's _pocket_ was downright astonishing. Maybe she could use this "scientific method" to understand how her powers _really_ worked…if understanding how things worked let you make things like gravity machines and capsules that could store entire _houses_ in them, then understanding how ki worked would be useful, indeed.

She was a bit jealous when she found out Gohan had been training a girl named Videl, to whom he was quite obviously attracted, even if he, himself, denied it. Sakura never really thought of Gohan in that way, so she was understandably somewhat confused when that twinge of jealousy reared itself. In the end, though, she understood. Gohan had always treated her more like a sister, and truth be told, Sakura was fine where she was. Besides, Videl seemed to make Gohan happy, and that was what mattered most. Sakura did, however, let the girl know, in no uncertain terms, that if she broke Gohan's heart, she'd make her regret it.

Friends and family…two things Sakura never thought she'd ever have again. The other slave girls on Arctic's ship had a sort of bond, but it was always strictly an "at arm's length" deal. But, now, she had people that cared about her, people that were trying to help her feel like a normal person again. Truth be told, it'd worked. She felt like a young woman, now. She might not have the same proclivities as others her age, and she was still unsure if she'd ever be able to have a … special relationship like Videl and Gohan had, but that was fine. Sakura was happy where she was, and that was a fry cry from what she'd been before.

_**Outtake Three: Gohan's Student**_

_[The events of this one take place during Chapter Five. This is after Gohan teaches Videl to fly, as that went pretty much the same way here as it did in canon. Hopefully, this will help flesh out Gohan and Videl's relationship and explain why Videl is so much stronger than she was in canon.]_

_This whole "ki" thing is nuts! _ Videl thought to herself as she watched Gohan and Mr. Vegeta spar. When Gohan agreed to a demonstration with Mr. Vegeta, Videl thought it'd go much like watching her dad train one of his disciples. What she got, however, was a demonstration of impossible speed and a minor, eye strain-induced headache. Even in this weird training room Mrs. Briefs built, where the gravity was _triple_ that of Earth's, these two men were throwing punches and kicks so fast, Videl was honestly surprised that the air didn't burst into flames around them.

"So, Videl," Gohan said after they'd called a halt to their demo. "What do you think?"

"You," she started, struggling to find the words to describe what she'd just witnessed. "You're training me to do _that?!_"

"And more," Gohan replied, nodding. "Once you're strong enough, we'll teach you some of the _really_ fun stuff!"

"Like turning into a blonde super warrior?" she asked in an awed tone.

Mr. Vegeta laughed a little at that, saying, "Unfortunately, that's something only _we_ can do. You don't have any Saiyan blood, so you can't become a Super Saiyan."

"Saiyan?"

"Well, Videl…" Gohan said, embarrassed. "I'm not _totally_ human. My dad was a Saiyan like Mr. Vegeta, here. My mom's a normal human, though, so I'm only half Saiyan."

"And my strongest pupil," Vegeta interjected.

"So," Videl said in a suspicious tone. "You mean to tell me that you're some kind of alien hybrid?"

"Well…yeah."

"That," she said before her eyes lit up like miniature suns. "Has to be the coolest thing I've _ever_ heard! Seeing what you can do, I don't doubt it!"

"Wait, what?" Gohan asked, now officially confused.

"And you're _his_," Videl said, nodding toward a smirking Vegeta. "Top student? Gohan, you have _got_ to be the coolest guy I know!"

"Can't say I saw that one coming," Vegeta said, laughing. "I'm going to go wash up. Gohan, I'll give you some time alone with your new fangirl."

"Vegeta!" Gohan called out in vain before the Saiyan Prince closed the door behind him.

"So," Videl said, stepping up to a flustered-looking Gohan. "Mr. Ultra-Strong Alien Hybrid…what are you waiting for?"

"Huh?" Gohan asked desperately. "What are you talking about?"

"Aren't you going to train me?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Oh!" Gohan said, relieved. "Sure!"

Gohan dropped into his training routine, helping correct flaws in her stances as well as teaching Videl how to use her ki to enhance her other senses and speed up her reaction times. It took a little more than a week, but Videl was finally getting used to working in 3x gravity, and after two weeks, she was able to move as freely in it as she was outside. Using her ki to help support her body made the process a lot easier and, as Gohan had said it would, she could feel her reserves improving every day. After two and a half weeks at triple gravity, Gohan informed Videl that he'd turned the gravity up to 5x. It was difficult to move in, but not nearly as bad as going from normal gravity to triple had been.

With all the encouragement Gohan had given her, and the inspired looks Mr. Vegeta's daughter gave her when she was training with the rest of the Briefs family, Videl pushed herself as far as she could go. Three months into her training, she was working at 15x Earth's gravity and the difference she could feel in herself was _drastic_. The times she watched as Gohan and Mr. Vegeta pulled out all the stops demonstrated that he was still taking it easy on her, but she understood. Try as she might, she couldn't help but watch every nuance of Gohan's moves as the electricity from his aura arced between him and Mr. Vegeta. Even though she and Gohan were more-or-less officially an item, she savoured the times when she got to watch him fight.

"Gohan," Videl said one day as they were walking through Satan City after school. "I…I really enjoy watching you fight."

Gohan had the good grace to blush a little and, scratching the back of his head, replied, "Really? Thanks, Videl!"

"I think it's, well," she continued, a little embarrassed. "I think it's kinda hot."

"Videl!" he replied, sounding scandalized. "What are you saying?"

Videl thought over her approach for a minute, before settling on simple honesty. "That I think you're attractive," she said plainly.

"I-I!" Gohan stammered before sighing and lowering his head in defeat. "I feel the same way about you, Videl."

"Thank you, Gohan," she said happily. "That means a lot, really."

It was clear to Videl that Gohan didn't have much experience when it came to girls. That seemed a bit odd, to her, given how handsome he was, but she figured that living in the middle of nowhere and being homeschooled most of one's life would make that inevitable. Though she wouldn't stop teasing him, it was _far_ too fun to fluster a person as powerful as Gohan, Videl promised herself that it would _never_ be hurtful. She just wanted to…draw him out of his shell, a little. He was so guarded, it was difficult to get a read on him, sometimes, but Videl knew that, if she drew him out some, that he'd be happier for it. A teacher that's also your boyfriend…it sounded scandalous on paper, but since Gohan was only a year older than she was, it wasn't a huge issue. Besides, it make Erasa _insanely_ jealous, which was great. The blonde girl always got praised for her good looks, but now she had the most handsome guy in the school who just so happened to be able to crush mountains with his mind. It certainly didn't hurt that he was easily the nicest guy she'd ever met and that she could see that she made him happy. Her dad might not _totally_ approve, but he was at least mollified when she told him that Gohan was the son of a former World Martial Arts Tournament champion. Who knew that finding out Gohan was the mysterious "golden warrior" would've yielded such wonderful fruits?

**Author's Notes**

As promised, a look into some of the bits I missed! I hope you guys enjoy reading them, because I definitely enjoyed writing them! The third outtake wasn't wanting cooperate, which is one of the reasons that this update took a bit longer than it should have. The other reason is that I've gone and fired up a new story, _The Bardock Effect_. I'm having a tonne of fun writing that magnificent bastard, Bardock, and from the feedback I've been getting, you guys have been having fun reading it! I'll probably do an Outtakes for that story, at some point, as well, since I occasionally miss things, but that will be a while coming, since that story doesn't have as much written as this one does. I just want to take the time to say thank you to everyone out there who followed, favourited, and gave me feedback. You guys are the reason I keep going, I mean it, so again, thank you.

I've run out of things to say, soooo…I suppose I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Fourteen of _The Prince Ascendant_: Desperate Times! Take care!


	14. Desperate Times

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Fourteen: Desperate Times

"So," Majin Buu said in his creepily happy voice. "Which one wants to fight Buu next? Short, angry-looking guy? Tall man? Short, purple guy? Or does pretty lady want to fight Buu?"

"I'm not sure what to do with that," Sakura said, arching an eyebrow.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said quietly from the side of his mouth. "Your time here is dependent on you _not_ expending a massive amount of ki, correct?"

"Yeah," Goku said somewhat morosely. "Baba told me that before I came here: the more ki I use up, the more time I use up."

"So," Vegeta said as the strange, pink blob did another ridiculous dance. "Its safe to say that you can't go all-out, correct?"

"Unfortunately, you're right on the money."

"Then, Kakarot," Vegeta said with a small pause. "I want you to leave. Take Sakura with you, and bring everyone to the Lookout where they'll be safe."

"What?" Goku asked, taken aback.

"What the hell?!" Sakura nearly yelled, angrily. "I came to get justice for Gohan, not to be sent away at the first sign of trouble!"

"I'm not sure even _I_ can finish this monster off," Vegeta said curtly. "But, if you watch from the Lookout, you might be able to see where I go wrong, and make some kind of plan. If I die here, I want it to mean something!"

"Vegeta, wait!" Goku said quickly. "There's a technique I know! We could pool our power together and fight this monster as one!"

"Kakarot, don't be an idiot," the Prince said firmly, before a bolt of realization struck him. "Wait..."

"Huh?" Goku asked in a confused tone. "What now?"

"This thing seems to have the intelligence of a child," Vegeta noted. "Perhaps...perhaps you could reason with it. If you could keep it from destroying things, at least for a time, maybe we could buy time for you to teach your technique to someone else and for us to formulate a plan of attack."

"We might not be able to turn him to good," Goku said, thinking on Vegeta's words. "But, we could buy time. Good idea, Vegeta!"

"That's why I'm here," the Prince said a trifle smugly. "Get to it."

As Goku walked up to the strange creature, this Majin Buu, it stopped dancing and became almost _too_ focused on him. It was unnerving, being watched this closely, but Goku didn't let that cause his confidence to falter, he knew what needed to be done.

"Hey!" Goku said, waving. "You're Majin Buu, right!"

"Yes, me Buu!" Majin Buu chirped happily. "You strong? You come to fight Buu?"

"Not yet," Goku said. "But, I know of a _really_ strong fighter that's just itching to fight you."

"Really?" Buu said, bouncing with excitement. "You bring him now!"

"He's not ready, yet," Goku replied lightly. "If you give us...three days, I promise that he'll appear and that he'll be stronger than all of us put together!"

"Three...days?" Majin Buu asked, frowning. "What's a day?"

"A day," Goku said, pointing toward the sun, which was setting. "Is when the sun goes down into the sky like its doing now. When that happens three times, the fighter will appear."

"Okay!" Buu said, laughing. "I go and wait while you get fighter!"

"Could you promise me one more thing, Buu?" Goku asked, bolstered by his somewhat easy victory.

"What that?"

"Could you promise not to destroy anything or hurt anyone before the fighter appears?" Goku asked without hesitation.

"Hmm..." the pink monster said, scratching its chin. "Buu do! Buu always wanted a house, so Buu build house while you get strong guy!"

"That sounds good to me!" Goku said with relief before waving Buu off and returning to his comrades.

"Well," Sakura said, tension leaving her muscles. "That was surreal."

"You can say that again," Vegeta said with a small laugh. "Then again, Kakarot's good at that kind of thing."

"Are you sure that beast is going to keep to its word?" Supreme Kai asked suspiciously. "He could easily have been lying."

"You saw him," Vegeta said simply. "Does Majin Buu take you as being intelligent enough to lie?"

"I suppose you're right," Supreme Kai admitted gravely. "Still, it sits ill with me that we're not destroying that creature."

Just then, three people landed next to the Saiyans and Supreme Kai: Kibito, Piccolo, and Tien.

"What happened here?" Tien asked, seeing the large hole leading to the bottom of Babidi's ship.

It didn't take very long to relate what had happened, but by the end, everyone looked grim. Piccolo, especially, looked crestfallen when he heard of Gohan's demise, though he was quick to assure Sakura that he did not blame her for what had happened and that he was glad the one responsible had been brought to justice. Thanks to Kakarot's Instant Transmission, everyone was at the Lookout in no time at all. Videl and Chi Chi went to somewhere where they could grieve, and were soon followed by Bulma and Piccolo. The Prince understood, if the situation weren't so dire, he'd likely be there with them.

"So, Kakarot," Vegeta said, turning to the only remaining pure-blood Saiyan beside himself. "What was this technique of yours?"

"Its something I learned in Otherworld," Kakarot began. "Its called 'fusion,' and it lets two fighters of equal strength combine their abilities and boost their power."

"I gathered as much," Vegeta replied. "But, how does it work?"

"The two warriors," Kakarot said, scratching his chin a little in thought. "Basically join bodies. They can only stay joined for thirty minutes, and when they separate, they have to wait another hour before fusing again, but while together, the merged fighter has the combined power of the two that went into making him and then some!"

"Somehow," Vegeta said after a moment. "I doubt its as simple as that, there's got to be a catch somewhere."

"Yeah," Kakarot replied. "The two fighters have to be roughly the same height and have to keep their ki matched _exactly_. There's also the matter of the fusion dance itself..."

"A dance?" Vegeta asked incredulously. "So, we're going to be handing over the fate of the universe to the power of ballet? Well...I guess its no worse than some of the other things we've had to tolerate to save the cosmos. Are you suggesting you and I join bodies?"

"That," Kakarot said, surprised. "Actually wasn't what I had in mind, but now that you mention it, that _would_ probably get the best results..."

"I..." Vegeta said, struggling against his pride. "Wouldn't be adverse to it, to save the world. HOWEVER," he said loudly. "I think we should still teach another pair of fighters here, just in case."

"Good idea," Kakarot said. "I was thinking Goten and Trunks. What do you think about that, Vegeta?"

"They're strong, and their ki levels are almost identical," Vegeta said, rolling the idea over in his head. "Plus, if all else fails, they'd have the backup of Bra and Sakura, at the very least."

"Don't want them to go it alone?" Goku asked.

"Not if I can help it," Vegeta replied. "The more strength that's brought to the battle, the better chance we have of winning this thing. Speaking of winning, we're burning daylight, let's get this done, lest we waste the opportunity we've been given."

It only took a few minutes to gather Goten and Trunks, as they had finished paying their respects to Gohan. A small crowd gathered around them, wanting to see what new technique would be unveiled, what new thing their long-deceased friend had learned during his time away. A quick explanation of the basic principles of fusion later, Kakarot asked for someone to help him demonstrate the fusion dance itself, for which Vegeta volunteered.

"Just make sure the actual fusion doesn't happen, Kakarot," Vegeta said tersely. "I don't care for the idea of sharing a body with you."

"Don't worry, Vegeta," Kakarot said calmly. "We'll just show them how its done. Now," he continued, as he and Vegeta got into their places. "Both people doing the fusion must do the poses I showed you in perfect symmetry. If you're off by even a small margin: finger bent too far, foot turned too far inward, the fusion will fail. Ready, Vegeta?"

"I am," Vegeta replied simply.

"Fuuuuuu," the pair said, moving a few steps closer. "Sion!" They pointed their arms away from one another and their knees toward eachother. "Ha!" Ending in the final pose. A bright light flashed, and the two warriors only had a few fractions of a moment to look surprised before the light drowned them out. A few moments later, the light faded, and before the astonished crowd stood a tall, muscular fighter in a strange, black, gold-trimmed vest and white, baggy pants. His hair was spiked like Vegeta, but had Goku's bangs.

"That," the warrior said in a voice that sounded like Goku and Vegeta layered together. "Wasn't supposed to happen..."

"What tha-?" Krillin stammered out. "What happened?"

"Goku and Vegeta fused," the warrior said. "I guess that makes me Gogeta."

"Our dads fused!" Trunks said in an excited tone. "So cool!"

"And they're incredibly strong!" Sakura said, awed. "I bet you could take that Majin Buu guy out in one hit!"

"Maybe," Gogeta said. "Goten, Trunks? Do you understand what your fathers showed you?"

The duo nodded, too thunderstruck by the accidental miracle they'd just witnessed.

"Good," Gogeta said, nodding. "Show me what you can do, then!"

The two youngsters took their places opposite one another. They looked confidently at Gogeta, their fathers combined, and knew that he wanted them to be every bit as strong as he was. As they performed the elaborate dance, Gogeta eyed his sons closely, looking for any flaws in their form. As they finished the final step in the routine, Gogeta narrowed his eyes...Trunks' finger had been too curved. Sure enough, once the light faded, the two kids were replaced with a slightly taller version of their mingled features, with tall hair that was black in the middle, but with white streaks on either side. However, the most striking feature of this new fighter wasn't his looks or the clothes he wore, which aside from size, were identical to Gogeta's, but his extremely thin, emaciated frame.

"Did I do it, dad?" the fighter wheezed.

"I'm afraid not," Gogeta replied, shaking his head. "Trunks didn't extend his finger far enough. Consequently, your power has dropped dramatically, even Yamcha could take you out."

"Is there any way to end the fusion early?" the fighter asked sadly. "Gotenks shouldn't look like a wasted old man!"

"Not that I'm aware of," Gogeta said, closing his eyes.

"Why don't you take down Buu yourself, then?" Sakura asked plainly. "You have enough power."

"Because he made a deal with Goku," Gogeta said firmly. "A very specific one. It hasn't been three days, yet. We don't know how he'll react if we essentially go back on said deal. He could get really mad and decide to start killing people, if we can't stop him. I'm not going to risk the lives of innocents unnecessarily. Besides, Vegeta has a potential contingency in mind, should the plan fail."

"He makes a good point," Piccolo said, nodding. "This way is safer, and at least gives us a couple of days to think up a backup plan or three before the fighting starts up again."

"Goku was also planning on having the boys here," Gogeta said, nodding toward an attentive Gotenks. "Train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber once his time is up."

"Dad," Gotenks said, his head perking up with an idea. "Could I be like Vegeta?"

"How do you mean?"

"He called it...Super Saiyan 3," Gotenks said, coughing. "I think."

"Hmm," Gogeta said, sitting down with his legs crossed. "What I know from Goku and Vegeta says that, properly fused, you should be capable of it, yes."

"You mean Goku can do it, too?" Gotenks asked, astonished.

"He learned the technique about a month before Vegeta did," Gogeta replied, nodding. "He didn't use the form against Buu because it'd drain all the time he has left, time that would be better spent here, training Trunks and Goten as best he can."

"But," Sakura interjected. "If the two of them can use that form, can't you?"

"I can," Gogeta said, crossing his arms. "But, I don't know if it'd drain away Goku's time here, and neither he nor I are willing to risk it. Besides, the form is an immense drain, and it'd cut down the time the two of them can stay fused by an order of magnitude. I wouldn't have enough time to settle things."

"Grr," Sakura said, hitting the ground with her fist. "Handed a warrior whose strength could end gods, and he's unable to use it because it'd screw up the plan. This sucks."

"How do you think I feel?" Gogeta asked with a twinge of anger in his voice. "I'd love nothing more than to go down there right now and annihilate Majin Buu, but I've already spent too much time fused that, even if I went all out, I wouldn't be able to remain fused for more than 90 seconds, and that wouldn't be enough time to finish things. My hands are tied, and I hate it."

"I'm sorry," Sakura said apologetically. "I didn't mean to insult you."

"Its alright, no harm done."

"You know," Krillin said in a conversational tone. "I thought you'd end up being a lot more impulsive than you are. You're actually thinking things through."

"I think that's largely due to Vegeta," Gogeta said. "If he were like his old self, I've little doubt I'd be down there, right now, screwing everything up...or he'd already be dead, and I wouldn't even exist. But," Gogeta added, brightening a little. "He seems to have learned the importance of patience and proper planning. As a consequence, his traits have dulled Goku's more impulsive nature."

Gogeta felt his form shift a little. "Whelp," he said, standing up. "It seems like my time is up. Maybe we'll see eachother again, one day!"

After a moment, a loud pop and a flash of light came, and Goku and Vegeta appeared opposite eachother.

"That was..." Kakarot began lamely. "Interesting."

"Indeed," Vegeta said a tad testily. "We become quite intriguing when we're together Kakarot. However, I'd prefer it if we didn't repeat that experience unless we absolutely have to."

"Yeah," Kakarot replied, scratching the back of his head. "That was weird, even for me."

A few moments later, Goten and Trunks reappeared as their fusion dissolved.

"That was weird," Trunks said.

"Yeah," Goten added. "But it was also kind of cool!"

"Goten's dad," Trunks began, turning toward Kakarot. "What would happen if Goten and I were try to fuse again, right now?"

"Nothing catastrophic," Kakarot said, shrugging. "But, you wouldn't fuse, either. The way the Metamorans explained it to me, your body needs an hour to stabilize back into its normal form. It won't fuse unless its...how did they put it? Solidified, I think."

"Strange way of putting it," Vegeta added, arching an eyebrow. "But, I guess it makes sense."

An hour later, Goten and Trunks were ready to try fusion once more. As the crowd settled back to watch, the pair got into their starting positions as Goku reminded them that their stances needed to be mirrored _exactly_. Their elaborate dance done, a light, a thousand times more intense than the last time the two had fused, came from the area where the two kids had once stood. As the crowd regained the use of their eyes, a young warrior, slightly taller than either child, stood before them. Unlike the last one, this Gotenks was well-built and healthy-looking.

"How's it feel, boys?" Goku asked happily.

"Amazing," Gotenks said, bouncing around a little.

"Don't go getting any wild ideas," Vegeta said, immediately knowing where their thought were going to go.

"Like showing Majin Buu who's boss?" Gotenks asked with a cocky grin.

"Exactly," Vegeta said. "Try, and Kakarot and I will fuse into that Gogeta character again and drag you back here by your ear."

"You wouldn't," Gotenks said in a dark tone that was very at odds with his expression.

"Try me," Vegeta said, stepping forward a few paces.

"Fine," Gotenks replied, sighing dramatically. "I guess we need to get used to this new body, anyway. Work out the kinks, ya know?"

"That's more like it," the Prince replied. "Let's say you work out those kinks by trying to see if you can best me."

"You'd better be ready!" Gotenks said triumphantly. "Gotenks the Magnificent will have you on your knees in five minutes!"

"Bring it on," Vegeta said, beckoning them as he transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan.

While neither child, on their own, would be a match for Vegeta in this form, Gotenks was holding his own quite easily. True to what Kakarot had said, their power hadn't only combined, but _multiplied_ with their successful fusion. As a Super Saiyan, Gotenks actually managed to put the Prince of All Saiyans on the defensive more than once. _His form needs work,_ Vegeta thought as he blocked a slightly clumsy kick. _But he's ludicrously fast, and he hits even harder than I do._ If what he'd said as Gogeta was true, Vegeta was actually somewhat scared of how powerful Gotenks would be as a Super Saiyan 3. That kind of power was dangerous enough in the hands of an experienced adult, but in the hands of a child...at least Gotenks was on their side. He may be cocky and arrogant, but the fusion of his eldest and Kakarot's youngest had great potential. If only there were a way around the time limit of fusion...

**Author's Notes**

Jeez, this one just didn't want to get written, for some reason. Probably something to do with classes loading me down with a tonne of assignments. Real life bites. Anywho, I apologize for how long this thing has taken to get up, I just haven't had as much time as I'd wanted. I may end up having less, soon...I might be getting some part-time work. Though, I may be more inclined to trade off my Minecraft time than my writing time. Writing's become an excellent way for me to relax while still keeping my brain active, and I really enjoy all the feedback I've been getting! With that said, I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with me, thus far! You guys are the best, hands down.

I really enjoyed writing the "accidental Gogeta" bit. I spent a while wondering if it'd work or not, but I found a way to make it happen while being believable and also _not_ immediately ending the Buu Saga right then and there. Vegeta's not one for taking chances, not anymore, and that influenced Gogeta's personality a lot, thus we see a more serious, contemplative Gogeta as opposed to the "instakill Janemba" we saw in Fusion Reborn or the "jester who screwed everyone over" we got in Dragon Ball GT. I'm not telling if Vegito (to whom I internally refer as "Captain Curbstomp") will appear or not...honestly, I haven't figured that part out, yet. On one hand, it'd be a great way to get an indirect showcase of Vegeta's maturity (for lack of a better word) and development, but on the other, I'm not sure if it'd require a bunch of transparent contrivances to happen. Time will tell, I suppose, won't it?

Anywho, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Fifteen of _The Prince Ascendant_, A Chance Encounter! Take care!


	15. A Chance Encounter

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Fifteen: A Chance Encounter

Mark Savage, stage name Mr. Satan, wasn't a superstitious man. When he'd heard someone tell him about a pink daemon living a few kilometers north of town, he brushed it off as just another painted-up local trying to scare people off his property. Or, rather, that's what he would've done had this person not badly maimed several people who got close to the mysterious, dog-shaped house that had suddenly appeared. The things the guy described, bright flashes of light that exploded, sounded a lot like those guys that he'd run into during the Cell Games. Scared though he was, he couldn't let some dangerous loon live so close to the city he loved.

Thus, the illustrious Mr. Satan found himself at the edge of town, staring down the aforementioned strange-looking home. He had a bag of tricks ready, should this guy turn out to be one of those freaky people with the strange powers. As he neared the home, he heard something in a voice that sounded a lot like a child, a very, very strange child.

"This private property!" the voice said loudly. "Unless you bring Buu candy, you no come near"

"I uh," Mr. Satan said, fumbling around in his pockets until he found the small box of sedative-laced chocolates. "I have some candy right here!"

"You do?" the voice said excitedly before the source, a large, pink creature with ridiculous clothes, leapt out of the nearest window. "Buu want! You give to Buu now!"

"Here ya go," Mr. Satan said, handing the small box over. "Heh heh, yeah. They're the best chocolates in town!"

Buu, much to his audience of one's astonishment, literally inhaled the entire box at once. Including the box. "Box taste funny," he said happily as he chewed. "But chocolate is good! Very good!"

"Uhhh..." Mr. Satan said. _That was enough tranquilizer to put a dinosaur out for a week,_ he thought. _And this guy hasn't even yawned!_

"You nice man," Buu said, smiling. "Better than other people that come here. They shoot metal things at Buu, they not taste good, so Buu beat them up!"

"Well, that didn't work," Mr. Satan grumbled quietly to himself before returning to his normal, bombastic voice. "If you liked that, how about this game?"

Buu took the small device in his hands and didn't even look up as Mr. Satan ran behind the nearest rock. Mr. Satan heard the game start up and heard Buu start clicking buttons. A few seconds later, a massive explosion rocked the area. Mr. Satan felt a bit bad for blowing up this Buu guy, but if he was even half as strong as Cell was, he couldn't have him going around, hurting people. As he looked up from the rock, Mr. Satan was almost certain that, were he a lesser man, he'd have died of a stroke. Buu was standing there...laughing.

"Buu like game!" he said gleefully. "Especially the part where game blow up!"

"You, uh," Mr. Satan said, slowly emerging from his hiding place. "Liked that, did ya?"

"Buu like you!" Buu said, pointing at Mr. Satan. "You be Buu's friend?"

"Friend?" Mr. Satan asked dumbly. "Uhh, sure, that sounds good!"

"You come in!" Buu said, ushering the dumbfounded man. "You friend of Buu! Buu let you in!"

Mr. Satan, not wanting to run the risk of angering a weird, pink guy that could survive a bomb blast with five times the force of your average hand grenade, followed Buu inside. He didn't know exactly _how_ Buu had managed it, but the house was actually fairly comfortable-looking. The couch he found himself plopping down on was _very_ soft. It wasn't of any make he was familiar with...if this Buu guy made this couch, Mr. Satan thought he might just hire him to make all-new furniture for his mansion, so long as he could make it in a less Spartan, more modern style.

"Wow, Buu," Mr. Satan said, relaxing a bit. "This place is pretty nice! Did you do all this?"

"Yes!" Buu answered happily. "Buu make everything you see here!"

Mr. Satan whistled. "Say, Buu," he began a tad hesitantly. "How would you like a job?"

"What is a...job?" Buu asked, frowning.

"A job," Mr. Satan said. "Is where you work for someone, and they pay you for the work you do."

"What work would Buu do?"

"The furniture you have in here," Mr. Satan said a tad giddily. "Is the most comfortable stuff I've ever seen! You could make some of this kind of stuff for me, and I'd pay you whatever you ask!"

"Would you pay Buu in sweet things?" Buu asked, smiling broadly.

"Uhh, sweet things?" Mr. Satan asked, a little confused. "Oh! Yeah, sure! I can show you how to make it look _really_ nice, and maybe we can sell it to other people, too! We could be partners!"

"Partner?" Buu said, rolling the word around in his head. "That like friend?"

"Kind of, yeah!" Mr. Satan said, smiling.

Buu went back to the kitchen, humming happily. Mr. Satan thought that, while he may be a bit excessive when it comes to keeping people off his property, that this Buu guy wasn't all that bad. He seemed a bit...simple, but he was actually really nice. That opinion was reinforced further when Buu came out with a veritable mountain of cookies.

"You have some!" Buu exclaimed before taking a handful of cookies and shoving them into his mouth.

"Gee, uh, thanks Buu!"

The cookies were _very_ good! This Buu guy was growing on him very quickly. He was a good baker, he knew how to live comfortably, and he was the most genuinely nice person Mr. Satan had met in a long time. Feeling a bit parched, and hungry for something a little more substantial than the great cookie mound, Mr. Satan pulled out a capsule from his pocket.

"Would you mind if I got a drink, Buu?" he asked.

"Buu no mind!"

With that, Mr. Satan clicked the capsule and threw it toward an empty corner of the room. He always kept a capsule with spare necessities with him; after all, it wouldn't do to stay in a hotel and find that the mini bar was empty or that his steak au poivre was bereft of peppercorns. Mr. Satan heard Buu walk up behind him and peer into the small fridge.

"What is...brandy?" Buu asked, a finger on his lip.

"Its strong stuff," Mr. Satan said, pulling one of his own homemade chicken wrap from the fridge. "You don't want to drink too much of it, or you'll end up wearing a lampshade on your head."

"Can I have one?" Buu asked, pointing at the wrap Mr. Satan was holding.

"Sure, grab one," Mr. Satan responded agreeably.

Buu took a wrap out of the fridge and Mr. Satan closed it up. Buu ate the food greedily, taking it out in two bites. By the sounds he made, he enjoyed what he'd tasted.

"What in it?" Buu asked, amazed.

"Uhm," Mr. Satan said, trying to recall his rough recipe. "Chicken, mayonnaise, mustard, bacon strips, lettuce, pickles, and fresh-ground pepper!"

"Buu like! You make yourself?"

"I sure did!" Mr. Satan said happily, finishing off his food.

"You good cook," Buu said with a broad smile.

Without knowing it, Mr. Satan had ended up spending the entire day at Buu's house, not that he minded it all that much. Buu was nice, and after a short debate, had insisted that he stay the night, sleeping in the spare room. As Mr. Satan laid down in the bed which was, as difficult as it was to believe, even more comfortable than the couch, he thought about how things had gone. He'd come here fully intent on cleaning Buu's clock. He'd thought this guy was a dangerous lunatic, that he'd have to chase him away. Now that he'd gotten to know Buu, Mr. Satan was thankful he'd failed. It seemed that Buu just didn't understand how to properly interact with people he didn't know. In many ways, Buu was like a child. A child with incredible powers, but still innocent, good-natured, and unknowledgeable. Perhaps he could teach this guy to be nicer to other people, not to just attack people that don't approach his house with candy, but to, if he didn't want them there, politely ask them to leave. With someone as strong as Buu on the good side, maybe Mr. Satan could call on him should any more freaks like Cell pop up, threatening to destroy the Earth. To be honest, the tentative business deal he'd made with Buu left Mr. Satan feeling a bit bad, he wanted to pay Buu properly, but Buu had insisted that he be paid in cake. Maybe, if he could teach Buu to be a good guy, maybe he could teach him the value of a zeni, too.

Mr. Satan awoke rather reluctantly. He'd been having a rather nice dream about beating Cell up and being subsequently surrounded by a throng of very...grateful women, and was quite annoyed that it'd ended before it got to the good part. He showered and got downstairs to a rather peculiar sight. Buu was standing over a large platter, his face screwed up in concentration. A moment later, his head tentacle arched up like a scorpion's tail and a strange beam struck the platter. As the smoke and light faded, Mr. Satan saw that the platter was now heavily laden with familiar-looking, wrapped tortillas.

"Buddy!" Buu called as he turned around, seeing Mr. Satan. "You want breakfast?"

"Sure, Buu!" Mr. Satan said gratefully. "What's for eating?"

"Buu made chicken things!" Buu said happily, placing the platter on the table. "Like Mr. Satan!"

Taking a bite of one, Mr. Satan agreed, the formula had been followed almost exactly. He'd have added a touch more salt, maybe, but otherwise, the food Buu had conjured up was nearly identical to the chicken wraps he'd shared with his new friend the night before.

"Wow, Buu," Mr. Satan said. "These are really good. How did you learn the recipe so fast?"

"Buu just think really hard," Buu responded. "About what food he want to make, and Buu use his magic to make as much as he want!"

"And it comes out perfect every time?" Mr. Satan asked, astonished.

"Buu try to change little things, sometimes," Buu said conversationally. "Eating same thing too many times gets really boring."

"I hear that!" Mr. Satan said, finishing off his last bite and leaning back, replete, until he heard a whimper outside. "What's that?" he wondered aloud, getting up.

"Buu no know," Buu said. "It not sound like person."

Mr. Satan and Buu walked outside and saw the source of the whimper they'd heard a few seconds prior.

"Aww," Mr. Satan said, kneeling down. "Its just a little pup. Poor thing, I think he's hurt."

"Puppy hurt?" Buu asked, before kneeling down opposite Mr. Satan. "Buu make better!"

"Wha-?" Mr. Satan asked before Buu placed his hands over the puppy, bathing it in a radiant light. A few moments later, the light faded, and the puppy's eyes opened, slightly alarmed. "Its okay, boy," Mr. Satan said, lightly scratching the puppy's ears. "We're good guys! Buu here fixed you up, good as new!"

The puppy turned to Buu and looked at him for a moment before licking him on his face happily. Buu laughed and scooped the puppy up, hugging him as they licked eachother. Mr. Satan couldn't help but shed a tear at the sight, it was just so...precious.

"What your name, puppy?" Buu asked.

"He doesn't have a collar," Mr. Satan said, angling his head around to see. "I don't think he has one."

"How about we call you..." Buu said, frowning in thought. "Bee?"

"Aww," Mr. Satan said, smiling as the puppy happily licked Buu's face again. "I think he likes it!"

Hours passed as Buu and Bee played fetch outside while Mr. Satan, inside, was cooking up something nice for lunch for his two newest friends. All was well until he heard a gunshot ring out as he was plating up the scrambled eggs. Rushing outside, Mr. Satan saw Buu kneeling over Bee, who was bleeding profusely. Mr. Satan saw the light going over Bee once more, and he swore that Buu was crying. Enraged, he looked around and saw the perpetrator, hidden behind a rock about twenty meters away: a blonde, cocky-looking punk with black clothes. Mr. Satan rushed him, but the criminal was too quick on the draw, and shot Mr. Satan right in the chest.

As Buu heard the second shot ring out, he looked to his right, and saw his friend, Mr. Satan, lying on the ground, bleeding as a yellow-haired guy kicked him. Buu didn't understand why the yellow-haired guy was so mean, but it tore at Buu. He rushed to Mr. Satan's aid, pushing the bad man away after he finished making Bee better. Pouring his magic over Mr. Satan, Buu felt a rage and hate burning in him. He was so happy with his new friends, they were so nice...why did the bad man have to hurt them? Why did he want to hurt the people that were so kind to him? That's when he felt it, the evil in him was welling up, using the hurt to find its way to the surface. As Mr. Satan got up, fully healed, Buu put his hands to his head and screamed. It felt like his head was going to explode.

"Buu," Mr. Satan asked, reaching for his friend. "What's wrong?"

"Go!" Buu said urgently. "Take Bee and go!"

"I won't leave you!" Mr. Satan said, shocked.

"I SAID GO!" Buu screamed, pushing Mr. Satan in the right direction, towards Bee.

"Buu..." Mr. Satan said mournfully as he scooped up Bee and ran behind the nearest rock. "What's happening to you?"

Steam exploded from Buu's body, pouring out in great gouts. Mr. Satan watched as the steam, against all reason, flew straight up, but stopped a few dozen meters in the air, gathering like a great, ominous cloud. Something about it felt wrong, and the way Buu was staring at it, Mr. Satan had a feeling that his assessment wasn't entirely inaccurate. Then, slowly at first, the cloud began to condense. Mr. Satan watched on in horror as the cloud took the shape of a slender man, before a bright light shone from the centre. His vision cleared, Mr. Satan saw what the cloud had become...it looked like Buu, but it was tall and almost emaciated in its thinness. Its skin was a dull iron gray and its eyes were almost completely white, minus a single, small, black spot in their centre.

"He bad Buu," the large Buu said quietly.

True to the original's declaration, the skinny Buu appeared before the blonde criminal and showcased a truly frightening, psychotic grin. His body shifted and, as the blonde man looked on, mouth agape in horror, evil Buu's body turned to liquid and rapidly poured down his throat. The criminal's body bulged in a grotesque fashion, his gut protruding through his ripped shirt before his skin started to split. In a shower of blood, the blonde criminal died, and the evil Buu emerged from what little remained, looking very, very satisfied with himself.

"You bad Buu!" pink Buu declared loudly. "Buu stop you!"

Mr. Satan looked on in horror as the two Buus did battle. For all his size, fat Buu was incredibly fast, landing what looked like a hundred blows in the space of a second. However, the gray Buu merely laughed at the assault and punched fat Buu in the stomach, sending him hurtling backwards. Fat Buu shot a beam from his head tentacle, but the evil Buu merely blew it back, reflecting the attack on to Buu. What happened next had Mr. Satan gaping in utter horror: the original Buu's body twisted and deformed, shrinking into a small, brown chocolate bar. Evil Buu walked calmly up to the bar and picked it up. He looked at it for a moment before smiling happily and eating it in a single bite.

Steam shot out from evil Buu as he yelled with an excited look on his face. The ground beneath him gave way, and Mr. Satan was sent flying backwards as the intense wind Buu's ki was generating reached gale force. As the dust and rubble settled, Mr. Satan looked where evil Buu had been. In his place stood a taller, less emaciated-looking Buu. His skin was pink like the old one, but he looked more well-built and something about him seemed almost...sinister, to Mr. Satan. The new Buu smiled and rocketed off, completely ignoring the dumbfounded champion.

Back on the Lookout, Krillin stumbled backwards. "Guys," he said, panicked. "Do you feel that?"

"Oh shit," Sakura said, readying herself.

**Author's Notes**

Well, that's a new one, almost an entire chapter not featuring _any_ of the Z Warriors! I hope you guys don't mind, I've really been wanting to get something from Mr. Satan's perspective for a while. He's a lot more interesting character when you scratch the surface, and I just couldn't let the Buu saga go on without Buu and Mr. Satan and Bee all becoming friends again. Its just too high a point for the three of them to ignore.

Yes, the shit's hit the fan. Buu is coming for the Z Warriors. Goku, at this point, has been forced to return to Otherworld. I don't want to spoil too much for the next chapter, but needless to say, things are going to get quite nasty.

Mcube, oh yeah, Sakura's attacks are _brutal_, doubly so if she's transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan, since she become markedly more violent in that form. She largely focuses on destroying and crippling her opponents, she's a real combat pragmatist.

That's it for now! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Sixteen of _The Prince Ascendant_, Super Buu's Assault! Take care!


	16. Super Buu's Assault

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Sixteen: Super Buu's Assault

_[Note: The events of the beginning of this chapter take place during the latter two-thirds of the previous one. As such, Goku's still here (full day hasn't elapsed, yet), and Super Buu doesn't exist, yet.]_

"I have an idea," Kakarot said, after an hour had passed since the boys' latest fusion had dissolved. "You've gotten the technique down almost perfectly, so drilling you on it any more would be pointless. Instead, we're going to try and make your fusion even stronger. How about you two try fusing as Super Saiyans?"

"Would that increase their power?" Supreme Kai asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Kakarot replied honestly. "But, its worth a try. The Metamorese that taught me couldn't transform, so I really couldn't tell you one way or the other."

The two boys shrugged and got up. As they transformed, they equalized their powers; Trunks was a year older and, thus, just a _bit_ stronger than Goten. Forgetting that part had resulted in a short, fat Gotenks that could barely move a few steps without being winded, an experience neither of them wanted to repeat...being stuck in a useless body was no fun, at all.

"Fu-sion, HA!" the two boys said in unison as they performed the fusion dance. The light that resulted was even more intense than normal, and was tinted a faint gold.

"Whoa," Gotenks said, looking at his hands. "I think you were right, dad. I'm a lot stronger than I was before!"

"Amazing," Vegeta said. What they'd said was true, as they'd tried transforming into a Super Saiyan after fusing, and the result was significantly weaker than what they were witnessing now. As it stood, the Prince had the distinct feeling that, were he to fight Gotenks, even if he himself were an ascended Super Saiyan, that he'd very nearly lose. If those two could ascend...maybe...

"Gotenks," Vegeta said as the idea struck him. "Do you remember the training you and I were doing, trying to reach the ascended Super Saiyan state?"

"I do, yeah."

"Why not try and see if you can do it, now," Vegeta said with a small, challenging smirk. After all, the second quickest way to get a Saiyan to pay attention, after food, was to challenge their power.

"I like it!" Gotenks said, thrusting a fist in the air. "I'll show you! I'll do it here and now!"

Gotenks' aura flared, and his ki began to rise rapidly. He thought about the threat of Majin Buu, about the danger he was in...about losing Gohan. Thinking on the death of his half-brother broke down the wall in his mind, and electricity sparked from his body, scarring the alabaster stone beneath him.

"So," Gotenks began, a noticeable edge in his voice. "How'd I do?"

The results, at least in the Prince's opinion, were astonishing. The two boys had always had trouble with harnessing the necessary anger to ascend, likely to do with them never having truly lost someone. Both boys cared about Gohan, and he knew that his loss weighed heavily on them. That they'd used it so...easily, scared him a bit. Goten and Trunks had excellent potential, but fusion seemed to amplify that, in addition to their power. The things a fused being could achieve...Vegeta wondered what he and Kakarot could've accomplished as Gogeta. Though he didn't want to join bodies unless it was strictly necessary, Vegeta understood that this technique was _incredibly_ useful.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said, still a little queasy about what he was going to suggest. "What do you say to giving Gotenks here a run for his money?"

"I dunno, Vegeta," Kakarot responded. "As he is, he'd wipe the floor with both of us!"

"Not..." Vegeta began sourly. "Not if we fuse. It'd be useful to test their true power. Also, if the worst happens, we might find a way to get you back here and use this as a contingency. You don't have much time left here, and practice will do us some good, should the worst happen."

"Good thinking, Vegeta!" Goku said happily. "I'm ready when you are!"

"Kakarot," Vegeta began as they got into position. "How about we fuse as ascended Super Saiyans?"

"I don't see why not," Kakarot replied, transforming.

Vegeta followed suit an instant afterward. Their kis equalized, the last two pureblooded Saiyans performed the fusion dance, Vegeta making a sour face the entire time. As the lightning arcing from the bright light dimmed, the crowd was once again standing in the presence of Gogeta.

"Well," Gogeta said, measuring his power. "It seems that Vegeta had a good idea. Boys, remember this. Ready?"

"Let's do this!" Gotenks said eagerly.

What followed left everyone awestruck; the two most powerful beings on the planet began duking it out above the Lookout. The blows were coming fast and furious, electricity was arcing between the two and easily finding its way to the much-abused Lookout floor tiles. As Sakura watched, she sensed something...strange about the two fighters. It was as if their ki was becoming unstable. She'd sensed it before when Gotenks' fusion was dissolving, but it'd barely been twenty minutes for the two of them.

"Guys," Sakura said, arching an eyebrow. "Does their ki feel...weird to you, too?"

"Yeah," Piccolo said, narrowing his eyes. "Its growing unstable. I guess higher transformations make the fusion expire more quickly."

"That's what I was thinking, too," Tien added. "They use up more power, so whatever's holding them together is under more stress."

"Makes sense, I guess," Sakura said as the two fused fighters floated down to the Lookout. "The more load you put on a rope, the faster it breaks."

The two pairs of fusees separated shortly after landing, panting. Their fight had been tough, but they'd learned several valuable lessons, chief of which being that whatever happened when fused, would be reflected in equal measure to the fighters once the fusion wore off, which could be bad if they were in a rough battle.

"That couldn't have been more than twenty minutes," Vegeta remarked as he straightened up.

"You're right," Dende said, walking up to the four with some dry towels. "I think its because you guys' transformations were straining your fusions too much."

"At least we got that out of the way-" Kakarot began before stopping, hearing the clearing of a throat behind him.

As he turned, Vegeta saw the witch, Baba, atop her crystal ball, looking expectantly at Kakarot. Given that it was getting quite dark, the Prince of All Saiyans knew why the old witch was here.

"Its time, Goku," Baba said solemnly. "Say your goodbyes."

"But," Kakarot objected. "It hasn't been a full day yet!"

"True," Baba said, slightly annoyed. "But you used a lot of your power training, and thus, used up a lot of your time. I'm sorry, Goku, but the rules are very strict, in this regard."

"Can't I just ask for another day?"

"No," Baba replied plainly. "You were lucky enough to get _one_ day out of King Yemma. If he made an exception for you, he'd have to make an exception for everyone who got a day on this side, and that would cause chaos."

"I guess you're right," Kakarot said, defeated.

"We'll miss you, Goku," Chi Chi said, hugging her husband as tears streamed down her eyes.

"Me, too, daddy," Goten added, doing much the same.

"It was good having you back, Goku," Piccolo said, bowing his head.

"Yeah, it was great seeing you!" Krillin said with a sniffle.

"Goku," Sakura said, walking up to the man with a shy look on her face. "Please...tell Gohan I'm sorry."

"I will, Sakura," Kakarot replied gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye, everyone. Goten, Trunks, keep up with your training! It was great seeing you all again!"

"Likewise," Tien replied.

"Time to go, Goku," Baba said sadly.

With that, the pair disappeared off to Otherworld. Vegeta was annoyed that he didn't get a chance to test his power against Kakarot, but maybe the opportunity would present itself again, someday. Either way, there were more pressing matter that needed his attention. Trunks and Goten knew the fusion technique, but what they needed most was simply more training...more than could be had in two days. That's when an idea struck him.

"Dende," Vegeta began, turning toward the Guardian of Earth. "Is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber available for use?"

"Yes," Dende said, scratching his chin. "You'd need my blessing, as Guardian, to go in a third time, though. Normally, one can only ever enter twice in their whole lives."

"It wasn't so much for me," Vegeta began. "As it is for the boys. They need training, more than two days' worth. However, if I can train with them, that would be ideal."

"I can only grant this blessing once, Vegeta," Dende said, rolling up his sleeves. "Are you sure about this?"

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Vegeta asked plainly.

"I guess not," Dende replied, focusing his magic on the Prince. "I, Dende, Guardian of the Earth do hereby confer my blessing on to you, Vegeta, for your service to the people of this planet. Go forth as my chosen agent, with all the privileges the title entails."

"Chosen agent, huh?" Vegeta asked with a small laugh. "Right, no pressure. Goten, Trunks," he added, turning to the boys. "You'll be joining me in training in the Hyperbolic Time chamber for a year. Sakura, Bra, you're in charge of keeping this place from being blown to kingdom come while we're gone."

"Wait," Sakura said, raising an eyebrow in question. "A year? We don't even have a week."

"Time," Piccolo began. "moves faster in the Chamber than it does out here. A single day out here is equal to an entire year in the Chamber. Goku, Gohan, Trunks, and Vegeta all used it to train during Cell's incursion."

"Vegeta," Chi Chi said, walking up to the Saiyan Prince. "If I allow this, you are going to be good to my Goten, understand? He's...all I have left."

"Goten," Vegeta began softly. "Will be treated no different than my own son, I promise. I won't be easy on him, but I won't make him miserable, either."

"That's good enough," Chi Chi said, sighing. "Goten? You be on your best behaviour, you got me? You listen to Vegeta and do what he tells you!"

"I will, mom," Goten said, smiling a bit.

Bulma simply gave a smile and a nod to her husband and son, ruffling her daughter's hair to help alay her annoyance with being left out of the training. She whispered in her ear that she could always train with Sakura or Videl, and the bright look her daughter gave her made it all worthwhile. Vegeta led the two boys into the Chamber, sealing it behind them. It might only be a year, but it'd mean a lot of extra time to hone their techniques and raise their power. Against something like Majin Buu, Vegeta knew that they needed every edge they could get.

"I am not exactly sure that I am comfortable simply waiting here," Supreme Kai said, somewhat annoyed.

"I agree, master," Kibito said, nodding in assent. "Alas, it seems we have little choice. These fighters have proven themselves qutie capable, given what you've told me."

"Indeed," Supreme Kai responded. "The one that went into this Time Chamber, this Vegeta, was the only person I'd ever seen who had resisted Babidi's mind control magic. He also briefly displayed a power that could easily best Majin Buu..."

"I wonder why, then, he doesn't use it," Kibito said in a suspicious tone. "If he has the power, he should use it."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Supreme Kai said calmly. "He does not appear to be one to make rash decisions. Such a power may come at a very heavy price."

"That sounds possible, I suppose," Kibito agreed, before leaning close to his master and whispering. "Are we sure we can trust the Saiyan girl? You said she'd been possessed by Babidi, she may be dangerous."

"She is the one that killed him," Supreme Kai said warily. "I can sense that, deep within her, is a great sorrow that was caused by her actions while under his spell. Of the people present, she may well be the most competent, powerful fighter we have currently available."

"I just hope Majin Buu doesn't attack us," Kibito said in a worried tone. "He hasn't, yet, which means Goku's plan may well have worked, but I have a bad feeling."

"As do I," Supreme Kai said seriously. "However, remember that we _do_ have a contingency in case things go wrong. One of the fighters here may well be the one we need to carry it out."

Kibito merely grunted at that. He knew what his master was talking about, and he still found it hard to believe that a mortal, no matter how powerful, could ever hope to draw the Z Sword, let alone use it in battle. A blade forged by the God of Destruction himself surely could only be wielded by one such as them. Then again, Beerus _was_ said to be quite capricious and...strange.

Eighteen hours passed with little fanfare. The group was still a tad dour, but it wasn't until after dinner that a big problem arose. Piccolo was the first to sense it, another massive ki had appeared on the planet, one that felt eerily similar to Majin Buu, but much, much more sinister and malevolent. The fighters on the Lookout watched through their senses, feeling out the battle that ensued between the two Buus. Then, just as suddenly as the other had appeared, the original Buu's ki signature faded almost to nothing before being absorbed by the evil Buu. A few moments later, they merged into an even stronger, much more violent and powerful creature.

Krillin stumbled backwards. "Guys," he said, panicking. "Do you feel that?"

"Oh shit," Sakura said, readying herself. "You guys, stay here! I'll keep him occupied! Piccolo, get Vegeta and the boys, we're out of time! Go!"

"We aren't going to let you fight Buu alone!" Kibito yelled angrily.

"You'll only get in my way," Sakura barked back. "I don't want you getting hit in the crossfire!"

Piccolo made his way to the Chamber, and Sakura sped off, transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan. She might not be able to destroy Buu, but she could at least stall him in time to get Vegeta and Gotenks here to finish the job. Peripherally, she was aware of Kibito and Supreme Kai following behind her. She silently cursed them for fools, but if they wanted to end up being exploded, then on their own heads be it. Sakura caught up with the new Buu in a mountainous area just ten kilometers east of the Lookout. Buu had changed a lot since the last time Sakura had seen him: he was taller, more well-built, and his face belied a far greater, far more malevolent intellect.

"So," Super Buu said in a gruff, yet smooth voice. "You're here to fight Buu, huh? Buu remembers you...the strong girl, the one that silenced that annoying voice in Buu's head."

"Believe me," Sakura said evenly. "It wasn't for you."

"But," Buu interjected. "Talking is boring. Buu wants to fight."

"Fine by me."

Sakura pushed her ki as high as she could get it. She might not be as strong as Mr. Vegeta, but she'd hold this pink bastard off. A psychic message from Piccolo embedded itself in her mind: the door to the Chamber was sealed, and wouldn't even be openable for at least another hour. She cursed her rotten luck.

"Majin Buu has changed," Supreme Kai noted, flying beside Sakura. "This is a most disturbing development."

"You're telling me," Sakura said evenly. In fact, it was more than a little...well, blatantly impossible. Or, at least, it shouldn't have been. The original Buu sprouted another, more evil Buu, that other Buu consumed the original, so now the original Buu was inside this _new_ Buu...thinking about it any further made her head hurt.

Super Buu let out a theatrical yawn and charged the group. He was becoming intensely bored with their talking. The first blow against Sakura landed on her face with a solid crash, sending her speeding into a mountainside. Buu casually clotheslined Kibito as the red-skinned man charged him, causing the warrior to fall to the ground. A few kicks to the chest later, and he was barely alive. The only thing that kept Buu from killing the big guy was a searing hot ki bolt that had somehow found its way into his chest. He looked down at it as it glowed, smirking slightly as he grabbed it, ignoring the intense heat, and shattered the attack, healing himself easily. He turned and heard a female voice yelling the word "Slicer" before an arcing ki beam struck him in the throat, severing his head. Buu merely laughed. This little girl was strong, but she still wasn't any match for him. No cutting, no piercing, nothing could hurt him...nothing he could not heal, at any rate.

"Damn it!" Sakura cried. "What's it take to kill this bastard?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Buu said menacingly.

Sakura growled. She did not like being mocked, especially not by a guy that looked like he was made of bubblegum. Sakura drew a line in front of her with her ki; it was time to try a different tack.

"Diamond Shard Rain!" she exclaimed, sending the tiny ki spikes careening towards a stationary Buu, smiling in condesention.

The shards embedded themselves deep within Buu's body. He barely had time to register their burning sensation before he saw Sakura close her hand, and his entire body exploded.

"Got him!" Sakura said triumphantly. "Finally!"

"Look out!" Supreme Kai cried.

Sakura didn't have time to process what she'd heard before a massive blow to the ribs sent her careening toward the ground. Super Buu looked at Supreme Kai with unabashed amusement. He fired a simple, quick ki blast and nearly killed the deity that stood before him. Buu felt a ki wave coming towards him and ducked his top half into the bottom of his stomach before he turned around and fired a ki beam from his mouth in retaliation. The young woman's golden hair turned black, and she fell to the ground below, barely conscious. Buu laughed. They weren't worth killing, anymore. Instead, he sped off toward a new, even higher power that had shown itself high in the sky.

"Master," Kibito coughed out, his wounds throbbing with his rapid pulse. "We must retreat."

"Yes," Supreme Kai said, wincing. "It is time for the contingency. Bring Sakura, we must unseal the Z Sword."

With that, Kibito grabbed the limp, still-breathing young woman and his master and, using his teleportation abilities, took the three of them back to the Supreme Kai's world, just a stone's throw away from the mountain in which the Z Sword lay, eagerly waiting for one strong enough to wrench it from its resting place. A sword forged by a god...it was almost frightening to imagine its power. What was even scarier, to Kibito, was that it could well end up in the hands of a mortal. Either way, he knew to trust his master's judgment and, using his remaining magic, healed the two of them before taking the moment he had to promptly fall into unconsciousness.

Sakura looked around at her odd surroundings. This place was so serene, so peaceful, but so empty.

"Welcome," Supreme Kai said, helping the young Saiyan woman up. "To my world."

**Author's Notes**

Wooh! This was another one that was a bit of a writing wrestling match, lemme tell ya. It took me longer than I care to admit to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with Sakura, but I figured I'd get her to Supreme Kai's place for two main reasons:

One, while she could go out in a blaze of glory like Vegeta did, her personality really doesn't mesh with that kind of end. Sakura has a very strong survivial instinct, so using a kamikaze move, while powerful, is anathema to her fighting style.

Two, Gohan's already dead. He _could_ petition for a day on Earth to set things straight with Buu, but that could well take a while thanks to the celestial beauracracy. Besides which, Gohan isn't even aware that Buu's turned into Super Buu. Sakura was in a better place, at the right time, to recieve such a benefit.

As for how things will turn out...well, I don't rightly know. There's a lot of factors, there, so deciding on an ultimate course of action won't be easy! Then again, it rarely, if ever is, soooo...yeah. Anywho, I'll catch you guys for Chapter Seventeen of _The Prince Ascendant_, The Guardian's Agent! Take care!


	17. The Guardian's Agent

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Seventeen: The Guardian's Agent

"Whoa," Goten said, amazed, as he, Trunks, and Vegeta walked into the Chamber.

"Yeah," Trunks said, equally amazed. "This was _not_ what I was expecting."

"It takes some getting used to," Vegeta agreed. "The gravity in the training area is about ten times Earth's, but we're all well past that, now."

"What's this clock for?" Trunks asked as they stepped out into the endless white expanse.

"I think it marks the passage of time back on Earth," Vegeta surmised. "The hourglasses here tell how far along our year is, I believe. I was never...fully informed about the various parts of this place outside the bedrooms and food stores."

"So," Trunks said, curious. "We spend a whole _year_ in here, and it'll only be a day outside?"

"That's right," Vegeta confirmed. "That doesn't mean you get to slack off, though, Trunks."

Trunks merely nodded happily at his father. He'd get to spend a whole year practicing fusion with Goten and training with his dad. With any luck, they'd be able to go Super Saiyan 3 like him...then, they'd really give that Majin Buu guy what-for! Vegeta, already having the year planned in advance, began putting things into motion immediately.

"Right," the Prince said in a decisive tone. "Goten, Trunks, I want you to fuse as Super Saiyans. We're going to see how training as Gotenks affects the two of you."

"Good idea!" Goten said, perking up. "Let's do it, Trunks!"

"Yeah!" Trunks replied excitedly.

Transformed and equalized, the boys performed the fusion dance with almost perfect timing and precision. In no time, the boys were no more, and Gotenks was standing before his father sporting the cockiest grin the Saiyan Prince had ever seen. _That won't do_, Vegeta thought. _Its time to show the boys how a real soldier fights._ Transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan, Vegeta beckoned Gotenks toward him, challenging the fused fighter.

"Challenging the mighty Gotenks?" Gotenks said haughtily. "Alright, then! Let's see how cocky you are after I beat you!"

"Try again, boys," Vegeta said, deflecting the punch Gotenks had thrown at him.

For the next half hour, Gotenks tried every trick in the book to land a blow on his father, to no avail. While there were many close calls, the Prince of All Saiyans could easily tell what he was going to do; not because he was predictable, though he did need to work on that as well, he was simply telegraphing his attacks far too often. As the fused fighter split back into Goten and Trunks, Vegeta walked over to the pair as he reverted back to Super Saiyan.

"You boys have a lot to learn," he said with a sigh. "You keep telegraphing your attacks, I can see right through them."

"But," Trunks said defensively. "We don't fight like that when we're separate!"

"I know," Vegeta replied. "When you're fused, you're far too cocky. That makes you careless, meaning I can see through your offense and defend against anything you throw at me."

"How do we fix that, Mr. Vegeta?" Goten asked, scratching his head.

"I think its a problem that can only be fixed while you're fused," Vegeta said after a moment's thought. "That's when your personalities become joined and...exaggerated. Though, knowing your weaknesses when your separate might help shore things up when you fuse."

"Did we get any stronger, dad?" Trunks asked, changing the subject.

"Its hard to tell after only a half hour of training," Vegeta said. "But, you two _do_ feel a little stronger. We'll need to test my idea a few more times, just to make sure. In the meantime," he continued, getting back into his ready stance. "Let's see what the two of you are made of, shall we?"

For the next hour, Goten and Trunks faced off together against the Saiyan Prince, giving it their all. While they were much more powerful fused, the boys coordinated well together when they were fighting individually. As a Super Saiyan, Vegeta had a hard time countering some of their combined offensives. They even got him on the ground a time or two when they pulled some particularly tricky maneuvers. Vegeta congratulated them every time they managed it, as well. The Prince knew that _some people_ looked down on such things as dishonourable, but when the world was threatened, honour wasn't even tertiary when compared to survival and success. Save the talk of honour for competitions and tournaments, shelve the "fair play" spiel for when the fate of the world _isn't_ hanging in the balance.

"Well, boys," Vegeta said, a bit winded after their hour spent training. "Are you ready to give it another try?"

"Yeah!" Trunks said fiercely and, a moment later, Gotenks appeared, ready to fight his father once more.

"This time," Gotenks said with markedly less arrogance than before. "I'm going to knock you on your butt!"

Though Vegeta could sense that the fused fighter was still arrogant, he could also tell that he was taking his training more seriously, this time, and even managed to land a handful of blows that sent the Saiyan Prince staggering backwards. Fifteen minutes in, Vegeta put his hand up, pausing the sparring session momentarily.

"You ascended before, on the Lookout," the Prince said, slightly winded. "Try it again, give me everything you've got!"

"Alright," Gotenks said, shrugging dramatically. "But, don't be disappointed when you lose!"

Vegeta could tell that the transformation was markedly easier on the fused fighter, this time around. Once one had access to the power, calling on it because easier the more times they used it. Given Gotenks' obvious natural talent and raw power, Vegeta could tell that he'd have about as easy a time mastering the form as Gohan. Powering up to the very limit, Vegeta and Gotenks went at it again and, this time, the fight was much more even. The transformation seemed to dull some of Gotenks' less...desirable personality traits, making the boy a far more formidable opponent. By the time the two separated, Vegeta was sporting more than a few lumps and bruises.

"Much better," the Prince said, panting. "I think you've earned yourselves a break, this time. Be prepared, though, boys...next time you fuse, I'm not going to hold anything back."

"Goten," Trunks said in a whisper as his dad led them to the dining room. "I think we should go past Super Saiyan from the start, next time."

"Why do you say that, Trunks?" Goten whispered back.

"I think," Trunks said, leaning in closer. "That dad plans to fight us as a Super Saiyan 3."

Vegeta almost imperceptibly raised an eyebrow. Never let it be said that Trunks Briefs was slow on the uptake. Inwardly, he smiled at how quickly his son figured out the meaning behind his words. Most children took what adults said at face value and didn't go looking for any meaning beneath what was readily apparent. Trunks, on the other hand, was proving to be far more perceptive than his peers. This could only be a good thing: a fighter who can tease out an opponent's battle plans stood a much better chance of coming out of his engagements not only alive, but victorious. A quick, by Saiyan standards, lunch later, Vegeta and the boys re-entered the training grounds of the Chamber, prepared to fuse and begin their training anew. Without a word between them, Goten and Trunks performed the fusion dance, joining once more into Gotenks, who immediately transformed into an ascended Super Saiyan.

"I see you boys didn't forget my advice," Vegeta said, smirking. "Good. Prepare yourselves!"

Vegeta focused his ki inward, searching for the small nugget of power buried deep within. After a short moment, he found it and forced it into the open, feeling ki flood his body. The transformation took less time than previously, and was less painful, his body more used to the insane amount of ki pouring out. His mind focused with a sudden clarity, Vegeta dropped into a ready stance, preparing for Gotenks to begin their bout. True to form, Gotenks sped toward his father, a fierce look, much at odds with his normal smirk, on his face. With a deafening crash, Gotenks' foot collided with Vegeta's forearm. The Prince grabbed the fused fighter's leg at the ankle and threw him as hard as he could. The training, from there, was intense. It was all Vegeta could do to maintain his Super Saiyan 3 state for the entire thirty minutes the boys remained fused. Even though he had more power than Gotenks throughout the bout, the fused boys managed to outclass him in speed near the end, readily putting him on the defensive.

Gotenks, seeing his dad pull out all the stops, knew that this training session would be his most intense since he sparred with Gogeta. He also understood that what Vegeta doing was a sign of respect: showing that the Prince of All Saiyans believed him capable of handling him at his absolute best. Though he was honoured, Gotenks also knew to be on his guard. The few times he'd felt his father's power as a Super Saiyan 3, Gotenks knew that it wasn't something to be trifled with. It also gave the fused boy something to aspire towards. After all, if his dad could do it, why not him? Sure, he was younger, but as easily as he'd gotten a hold of the ascended Super Saiyan form, he knew that he had it in him to be every bit as powerful as his dad.

Thus, it proceeded for the next six months. Vegeta, his son, and Goten all trained as much as possible while still allowing themselves enough time to rest. It was a lesson Vegeta had learned the hard way: pushing yourself was all well and good, but if you didn't give your body time to rest and rebuild, you'd end up sabotaging your own evolution as a warrior. Every three days, Vegeta would challenge Gotenks as a Super Saiyan 3, giving the fused fighter a challenge that he couldn't ignore, and giving the Saiyan Prince an opportunity to acclimate himself to the form. The latter was slow-going: during the first six months of their training, Vegeta had only gained maybe five minutes of staying power in the form. Still, every second he could eke out of it would be invaluable, should the need for the form arise.

"Hey, dad," Gotenks said when they started one such training session. "Could I try being like you?"

"If you think you've got what it takes," Vegeta said simply. "Then give it a shot."

Gotenks begun focusing his ki, knowing there was a power hiding somewhere inside him, waiting to be set free. He could feel his power rising, the pain growing in his body as he reached deeper within himself. Focusing beyond the pain, Gotenks found the secret wellspring of power buried inside and wrenched it free with all his willpower. Vegeta watched as Gotenks' hair grew longer and longer, his eyebrows disappearing as his ki grew to titanic levels. His eyes widened as the yelling stopped, and Gotenks looked at his father with a serious, yet confident grin.

"Impressive, boys," Vegeta said, which was quite the understatement. "You've got the power...let's see what you can do with it."

Gotenks' smile grew feral as he sped toward his father, catching him unawares with his surprising speed. The next thing Vegeta knew, he was pulling himself up, a large, painful lump forming on his left cheek. Smirking, the Saiyan Prince got to his feet and beckoned Gotenks towards him. Truth be told, he was genuinely enjoying fighting the young warrior in this state. Alas, almost as soon as Gotenks' power started to flag slightly, he dropped to his knees, panting, as his power dissipated and the split back into Goten and Trunks.

"That couldn't have been more than ten minutes!" Trunks said in a disappointed voice.

"It makes sense," Vegeta said, dropping down into his Super Saiyan form. "When you were fighting your dad and I fused together, we didn't spend the whole thirty minutes fused."

"That's right," Goten said thoughtfully. "Ya know, Trunks, there was a really weird feeling when we split up."

"Yeah," Trunks said, his head lowered. "Like a rope snapping in our stomach or something."

"Probably because we use too much power when we're Super Saiyan 3," Goten added.

"That," Vegeta began, moving next to the two boys. "And it was your first time in the form. The first few times are always the most difficult. Trunks, you were there, remember how long I was out when I first transformed?"

"Yeah," Trunks said, the memory visibly playing in his mind. "I wonder why we're not out cold, right now..."

"Something to do with the many factors of fusion," Vegeta said with a shrug. "I'm sure. I wish Kakarot had learned more specifics about it, I hate being in the dark like this."

Too tired to speak, the boys merely nodded, confirming their mutual annoyance in having to suss out the secrets of fusion on their own. With that, Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten spent most of the day resting, restoring their stamina from the exhausting transformation. Thus, their training regimen redoubled: Gotenks would push himself to Super Saiyan 3 as often as he could, trying to hold the form as long as possible. While he seemed to access the form easily enough, it appeared to be another matter entirely when it came to getting used to the form's drain on the body. By nine month mark, Gotenks was able to last only ten minutes in the Super Saiyan 3 state. Goten and Trunks had, individually, learned to use the ascended Super Saiyan form and, while it did boost their power as Gotenks when they fused in that form, it also cut the time they could stay fused by a third. Still, the fact that these two boys, who'd not even hut puberty, had attained and all but mastered a form Vegeta, at one time, thought to be the end all, be all, of Saiyan might astonished the Prince. His students were not just powerful, but talented, and they were learning to take their fights much more seriously, both separately and when joined into one. Then, a knock came at the door. A hurried, frantic knock. Fearing the worst, Vegeta opened the door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to see the fear-stricken face of Piccolo staring him square in the eyes.

"Time's up," he said quickly. "Buu's...Buu's changed, and he's on his way here. Sakura went to meet him, but I don't know how long she'll last."

"Damn," Vegeta spat angrily. "At least you caught us when we were well-rested. Boys," he yelled out, calling them from the dining room. "Our time's come to an end early. Its time we put our training to the test!"

"Aww man," Trunks groused. "I was playing Rock-Paper-Scissors for the last chicken wing! I guess you can have it, Goten. Its time to get to work."

"Mr. Vegeta," Goten said curiously. "Could Trunks and I spend the rest of our time training in here?"

"Hm," Vegeta said in thought. "Very well, but don't you dare slack off! If I don't end up slaying this Majin Buu myself, then it'll be up to you. How long do they have, Piccolo?"

"Four hours, out here," Piccolo said. "So you have around two months left, in here."

"Before I go," Vegeta said, heading to his son. "Trunks," he began, kneeling down, his hand on his son's head. "You've made me proud, you've come farther than I ever thought possible. I'm proud to call you my son."

"Dad..." Trunks said with a sniffle. "You go out there and show him what you're made of!"

"I will, my son," Vegeta said, giving Trunks a brief hug. "And you, Goten...I know Gohan would say the same about being your brother. Make us proud. Let's go."

Piccolo nodded and opened the door to the Chamber, leading the Saiyan Prince out. The door shut behind him, Vegeta felt around, noticing Sakura's ki just moments before it and two others disappeared. Gritting his teeth, Vegeta moved ahead of Piccolo. That beast...it'd killed her. She was already beaten and it snuffed out her life like it was nothing. Like _she_ was nothing. Thoughts of revenge burning in his mind, Vegeta walked into the broad daylight of the Lookout proper and, hovering a few meters off the edge of the Lookout, was the monster itself: Majin Buu. His appearance and demeanor had change drastically, but that didn't matter. Focusing all his anger, remembering the little girl he'd saved and seeing every painful step of her journey...remembering going into her room some of the nights she stayed with his family, the nights she screamed in her sleep. The terror and helplessness she felt, and the drive and determination that had pulled her out of her shell and allowed her to live. This monster, this unconscionable _beast_ had snuffed that out. Transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan, Vegeta charged, his vision bordered with a haze of red.

**Author's Notes**

Ohhhh hohohoho, yeah, Vegeta's pissed. Apologies for this thing taking so long to come out. I've been having school crap to deal with, and a lot of it, as well as a new internship (got my first paycheck today, yay!), and general life stresses, and the creative juices just haven't been flowing as they ought to have been. For those not in the know, I started a new story recently (I know, I have far too many) called _The Greater Evil_, a Fullmetal Alchemist / Attack on Titan crossover that is...far different from my normal fare. If you like horror (or just AoT and/or FMA), then give it a look!

Well, that's about it for now, so I'll sign off on this chapter and see you guys later for Chapter Eighteen of _The Prince Ascendant,_ The Fury of a Prince! Take care!


	18. The Fury of a Prince

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Eighteen: The Fury of a Prince

"Vegeta!" the Prince heard Krillin cry out.

The cry mattered not to him. Because of this monster, he'd lost not one, but two pupils he regarded as his children in everything but name and blood. A punch to the gut knocked the smirk off of Buu's face as the Majin was sent flying backwards away from a furious Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince drew his hands together, his mind flooded with memories of Sakura and Gohan...he knew what technique to use. One that had saved the day, seven years ago. The technique that had killed Cell.

"FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta screamed, sending the brilliant, white ki wave toward the Majin, striking him full-force in the face.

As the attack dissipated and the smoke cleared, Vegeta saw that there were only tiny chunks of Buu left. For a moment, the Prince thought he'd won...until the chunks began moving toward one another. As Vegeta watched in horror, the disparate chunks of Buu were joining together and with a flash, Buu hovered before Vegeta, a victorious smirk on his face.

"That actually hurt," Buu said with a laugh. "So, little man, still think you can take on Majin Buu?"

"Can and will," Vegeta growled in determination. "You will die for what you've done."

"You're stronger than the little girl," Buu said with relish. "But her, the purple midget, and the big red guy were no match for Buu. Neither are you."

"I am Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans!" Vegeta yelled, powering up. "I WILL PUT YOU IN YOUR GRAVE!"

With that, Vegeta focused all the ki he could into his body. He needed that power, now more than ever. An ascended Super Saiyan wouldn't cut it, he needed something more, he needed to go even further beyond. His rage, his sadness, his desperation all burned deep within his heart, and his power responded eagerly, coming to the fore with little resistance. He needed everything, every ounce of power he could acquire, every drop of ki his body could give him. Unbeknownst the him, the world began to shake violently beneath him. For the first time, the Earthlings on the Lookout were witness to Vegeta's transformation into a Super Saiyan 3, and it left them breathless. Hurricane-force winds blew violently around the Prince as electricity began arcing madly from his body, knocking off chunks of marble from the Lookout. Then, the thing was done. For the second time since uncovering it, Vegeta was using Super Saiyan 3 in combat. His mind focused to a razor's edge, Vegeta looked at Majin Buu, and the rage was gone. In its place was cold calculation, a frigid, focused killing intent.

"This..." Krillin stammered out. "This is Super Saiyan 3? Its unreal!"

"This is what its like when Mr. Vegeta goes all out?" Videl asked herself hoarsely.

"Buu will rip that ridiculous hair off your head," Buu ground out angrily.

Vegeta said nothing, opting to merely charge the pink monster, knowing that his time in this form would be limited. The blow he struck against Majin Buu's face hit with a sound strikingly similar to that of a nuclear detonation and the air visibly rippled away from the point of impact, as if nature itself was standing in awe of the power of the Prince. His training time with Gotenks in this form had paid off, his control was as firm as steel and the drain it put on him, while still noticeable, was at least manageable. Keenly aware of his situation, Vegeta appeared behind Buu as he tried to right himself in the air. It was time to use something new.

"Implosion Sphere!" Vegeta yelled, wrapping Buu in a perfect sphere of ki. Drawing his arms together, the sphere condensed, forcing everything inside into an area the size of a volleyball. Feeling the physical weight of the sphere drawing the air towards it, Vegeta squeezed just a little harder, causing the ki sphere to collapse in on itself, releasing a gigantic amount of energy.

Buu emerged from the implosion writhing in pain, his body looking as though it was melting away. As Buu was reforming, Vegeta fired a Big Bang Attack at the creature, which it had managed to dodge by sucking the top half of its body down into its navel. The rest of Buu emerged, panting and literally fuming with anger.

"You make Buu hurt!" Buu yelled, enraged. "Buu will kill you for this!"

"You're welcome to try," Vegeta replied calmly. "But, you will fail."

Vegeta watched as Buu charged him, the pink monster moving incredibly slow. He lifted up his arm above his head, bringing the bottom of his fist to contact with Buu's head, sending him careening downward. This thing had to have some limit, some breaking point. Nothing could regenerate endlessly...whatever magic was keeping it together had to expire, at some point, he just needed to push it as far as necessary to break it. Then, the monster would die. That thought in his head, Vegeta sped after Majin Buu, flying past him to the ground where he'd hit. Pulling his arms backwards, the Prince pooled all the ki he could muster into his palms. A glowing, red ball of ki formed, pulsing with an angry energy.

"Galick Cannon!" Vegeta yelled, thrusting his arms forward.

Buu contorted his body, wrapping it around the beam and colliding headfirst with Vegeta's stomach, staggering the Saiyan Prince. A blast came from Buu's mouth, which Vegeta dodged easily and countered with a blast of his own, striking Buu in the face. Vegeta sped toward Buu while the latter was stunned and, grabbing his head tentacle, began to viciously pummel him in the stomach. The Prince let go when he saw some strange power flaring in Buu's tentacle. A bolt of power shot towards him, which the Prince readily dodged. He remembered what the fat Buu had done, turning Dabura into a cookie and eating him. He had no intention of dying in such an undignified manner, or at all.

"You pay attention," Buu said menacingly. "Good."

"Sorry," Vegeta said with mock sorrow, kicking Buu in the face. "I don't have time to spend wasting words on you."

Buu laughed at this and grinned. Inside, he was seething. He was finally free of that stupid blob, free to eat and to kill as he pleased. He'd wanted a strong opponent, but he was now beginning to regret that wish. This long-haired, blonde guy was beating him senseless. Were it not for his healing power, he'd have been dead a dozen times over, by now...probably more. It was obvious this guy wasn't pulling any punches. He thought desperately through the beating he was receiving, analyzing his would-be slayer's words, looking for any hint of weakness. That's when a realization hit him: his time in this long-haired form was limited, he'd said as much. Letting himself get half-incinerated by a ki wave, Majin Buu, or Super Buu as he was now fond of thinking of himself, concocted a plan. Without the murderous man noticing, Super Buu let a piece of himself fall to the ground far below, an insurance policy should this guy manage to destroy the rest of him. Now, all he had to do was wait.

Vegeta couldn't tell how long he'd been beating on this thing, blowing his body to pieces, only to have him reform. However, he knew he was starting to slow down, he could feel it; he was nearing the end of his rope. If he didn't do something fast, he'd be at this thing's non-existent mercy. The only problem was, short of annihilating the planet and hoping this creature would die along with it, Vegeta didn't know any technique that would destroy this creature, it seemed to regrow everything he did. The few times he'd reduced to Buu to smoke, the creature had still managed to recreate his strange, pink body. For the first time since the fight started, Vegeta entertained the thought of losing, and it horrified him. It was then that the worst happened: the Prince dropped out of his Super Saiyan 3 form, no longer able to sustain it. Seeing Buu's victorious smirk, he knew he'd been outwitted. There was one final thing he could do. One final trick up his sleeve. Speeding toward a grinning Buu, Vegeta grabbed the creature by the arm and held on, hard as he could.

"Giving Buu a hug before you die?" Buu asked with a dark laugh.

"Bulma," Vegeta began, tears streaking down his face. "Trunks, Bra...I've failed. I'm sorry. I only hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for what I'm about to do. Goodbye, my family. This is for you!"

Vegeta's body began to glow with an unearthly radiance, and he used all his ki to hold Buu in place. He would not escape. His whole body burned as he began turning his life force into raw power. The pain was unlike anything the Prince had ever felt, but even it was a light prickling compared to the ache in his chest. He hated the thought of leaving his family without their father and husband, even if it was for as long as it took them to find the Dragon Balls.

"You!" Buu growled, struggling to break free. "Let go of Buu! Stop this! You're crazy! You'll kill us both!"

"That's the idea," Vegeta said darkly. "I can't hope to kill you without my full power. If I have to die, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!"

The power overflowed and the dam burst. Vegeta's chest exploded with pure, white ki and engulfed Majin Buu. The last thing he saw was the look of horror and shock on Buu's face, and then...nothing. So it was that Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans, made the ultimate sacrifice to protect those he loved.

A strange sensation passed through the Prince's consciousness. It was as if he were on the edge of non-existence, the verge of unbeing. It was...peaceful. Relaxing. A moment later, a blinding flash of light enveloped his entire being and soon, his vision cleared, allowing him to see a massive desk, one he'd seen once before. It was the desk of King Yemma, the man responsible for the smooth operation of the afterlife. Vegeta became aware of his limbs and realized that, this time, he'd been allowed to keep his body. Before he could even let out a small laugh, however, King Yemma addressed him.

"Hello, Vegeta," Yemma said in a somewhat neutral tone. "I was hoping I wouldn't see you here for a while, yet, given how much you've changed and all. You're probably wondering where Goku is-"

At that moment, Vegeta heard the telltale swish of Instant Transmission to his left, and saw Kakarot waving at him, greeting him to the afterlife. Somehow, it felt oddly appropriate that his greatest rival was amongst the first to welcome him in the Otherworld.

"Wow, Vegeta," Kakarot said, his voice taking on an odd mixture of sadness, respect, and awkwardness. "I saw what you did on Earth. That...that couldn't have been easy."

"I did what was necessary to protect the Earth," Vegeta said firmly. "Besides, I'll be going back, eventually."

"Until those guys wish you back," Kakarot began, holding out a hand for Vegeta. "Would you care to join us on the Supreme Kai's planet?"

"Its as good a place as any to wait, I suppose," Vegeta agreed, taking Kakarot's hand and, an instant later, finding himself on a remarkably placid-looking, yet quite empty world. Nearby were two faces Vegeta had been longing to see.

"Vegeta!" Gohan said happily, rushing up to his teacher. "Its good to see you again!"

"And you, Gohan," Vegeta replied, shaking his pupil's hand with a smile before looking past his shoulder at the other person he'd been waiting to see. "Sakura isn't dead?"

"Nope," Gohan said, leading them to where a wrinkled, old Kai was sitting, his hands facing Sakura as she sat, cross-legged with her face set in meditation. "Buu nearly did, though. Lucky for us, Supreme Kai and Kibito were there, they got her out of there after Buu left them for dead."

"Who's the old guy in front of her?" Vegeta asked quietly.

"That's Elder Kai," Gohan whispered. "Apparently, he came out a sword Sakura managed to pull out of a mountain, here. Right now, he's unlocking her potential so she can fight Majin Buu."

"But, I killed Buu," Vegeta said, his voice returning to normal.

"I'm afraid not," the Elder Kai said, pointing toward a crystal ball a short ways away from them. "Buu outmaneuvered you."

"No," Vegeta said in a sick tone, looking into the crystal ball. Sure enough, a small, pink blob was on the ground it was showing, writhing and taking shape. "Then...then, it was all for nothing!" Vegeta yelled in despair. "I wasted my life for absolutely nothing at all!"

"Goten and Trunks are still there," Goku said calmly. "If they got even half as strong as you did, I think they'll be able to handle Buu."

"They're children, Kakarot!" Vegeta cried angrily, tears welling in his eyes. "They shouldn't be expected to fight monsters like that! That's _our_ job! I failed to spare them that, and now they have no choice but to fight! DAMN IT!"

"Vegeta, I-"

"Not another word from you!" Vegeta yelled. "You will _listen_, this time, Kakarot! Monsters like these are opponents for _adults_! For men and women with the power to handle them! Children train so that, when they're _adults_, they can fight things like that! You have _no_ idea how angry I've been with you, these past seven years! That I somehow managed to work with you to train the boys in fusion is, quite frankly, unbelievable!"

"What? Why?"

"You left your _son_," Vegeta screamed, pointing at Gohan. "To fight Cell! Gohan was barely more than a child, then! Yet, you expected him to handle an opponent meant for a full-grown _man_!"

"But, he was ready!" Kakarot retorted, shocked at the tongue-lashing he was getting.

"Like hell he was!" Vegeta replied. "Oh sure, he was certainly strong enough, but he didn't have anywhere near the kind of maturity needed to fight such a monster! Yet, you willingly exposed him to horrors! That he wasn't scarred for life is nothing short of a _miracle_! Kakarot, there's a _reason_ I didn't allow my children to come with us to fight Babidi! Deep down, I _knew_ something like this might happen! Its my job, as their father, to protect them from such things!"

Goku was at a loss for words when Vegeta finished his tirade. In his heart, he knew he was right. Just because _he_ was confident in his son's abilities didn't mean that Gohan had been. In fact, he seemed frightened of his power, at the time. That he didn't see that, then, caused an ember of shame to burn in the pit of his stomach. He'd been wrong, but...at least he could try to mend his bridges where he could.

"Gohan," Goku said regretfully, turning toward his son, hugging him. "I'm sorry I put you through that. Vegeta's right, I shouldn't have put such a huge burden on you, then. You...you deserved better. I'm sorry, my son."

"Its okay, dad," Gohan said calmly. "I forgave you a long time ago."

"That means a lot, Gohan," Goku said, looking at the man his son had become. "You really are a man, now, aren't you?"

"Mom doesn't seem to think the same way," Gohan replied with a light laugh. "To her, I'm the same four year-old boy who went to meet his dad's friends."

"I have to admit," Goku said, his voice slowly returning to normal. "I have a hard time dealing with the idea, myself. I guess its just a parent thing."

"I have a question," Vegeta began, turning toward the Elder Kai. "How much longer is your ritual going to take, Elder Kai?"

"Ohh," Elder Kai said distantly, flipping a page on his magazine. "Shouldn't be more than an hour or so."

"I'd hope so," Supreme Kai said, focused on the crystal ball. "You've been at that for several hours, now."

"Hours?" Vegeta asked, outraged. "But, it couldn't have been more than thirty minutes!"

"Time flows differently on this world," Supreme Kai said simply. "More...slowly. Its similar to your Hyperbolic Time Chamber, except the degree isn't nearly as extreme. The crystal ball my Elder created appears to adjust for the difference, somehow."

"Eheh," Elder Kai began jovially. "Magic's a wonderful thing."

A thought struck Vegeta like a bolt of lightning. "Kakarot," he began with something of an edge left in his voice. "We need to prepare, so does Gohan."

"Why's that?" Kakarot asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

"Contingency plan," Vegeta said simply. "No disrespect to you, Elder Kai, but in case your plan with Sakura fails, we should have a backup available."

"Finally!" Elder Kai said happily. "Somebody who uses their head!"

"Actually," Vegeta began, another idea hitting him. "How many times can you do this potential-unlocking ritual, Elder Kai?"

"Once per person," Elder Kai replied with a bit of a chuckle. "For you, though, it'd take a while. Probably a day or two, same for you, Goku."

"Damn," Vegeta groused. "I doubt we have enough time for something that lengthy."

"Well," Elder Kai said, turning his attention back to Sakura. "If you ever change your mind, I'll be right here!"

"He'd probably ask for dirty pictures in return," Gohan whispered in Vegeta's ear. "I was here when Sakura broke him out of the Z Sword, so was dad. The only reason he's unlocking her power now was because she promised him a kiss when this whole Buu thing is over."

"Nothing wrong with a fair trade," Elder Kai said loudly.

"Dirty old man," Gohan groused.

"You're just jealous," Elder Kai said with a wicked grin.

"Please stay focused, sir," Sakura said quietly.

Something about her tone caught Elder Kai's attention, and he focused intently on the young Saiyan woman. Vegeta just looked at her with a hint of amazement. Something about her had changed. It wasn't just her contemplative, meditative posture, there was something else...she seemed serene, almost. Whatever the Elder Kai was doing wasn't just unlocking her power, but her true personality. Though she appeared relaxed, Vegeta could just make out the slight tension in her neck muscles, as if she was a spring, winding tighter and tighter until she had to be unleashed.

As Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan got to training, Sakura turned her mind back inward. There was something about this world, about Elder Kai's magic that was changing how she thought gradually. Though her eyes were closed, it was as if she were seeing things more clearly than she ever had before. Her mind was in order, the pain from Babidi's intrusion was completely absent. Everything was beginning to make sense. With her mind, she followed the intricate tracery of her own ki, looking like thin wisps of unnaturally fine thread emanating from her body. However, inside, deep inside, she could see a gigantic knot in the threads, one that was almost completely unraveled. As the individual threads came free, she felt her latent power rise. It was as if Elder Kai were teaching her through his magic, as well as unlocking her potential. Teaching her how to see her ki properly, teaching her to truly understand her power.

Amongst threads of brilliant blue and gold, there were wisps of something else...in the very deepest parts of herself, she saw tiny, red threads. Threads that refused to be moved by Elder Kai's magic. Something about them felt...strange, but immensely powerful. No matter how she concentrated, she couldn't make those red threads budge, to obey her commands. They simply lie there, in the deepest recesses of her soul, all but inert. In her mind, she saw an image of a boy...a voice, Elder Kai's voice said that it was Gotenks, Goten and Trunks fused together. She watched him step out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber as an ascended Super Saiyan, looking at Majin Buu with a scowl of deep hatred and furious anger.

"You monster!" Gotenks yelled angrily. "That was my dad!"

"A shame," Buu retorted with a laugh. "That I didn't get to _eat him_. He would've been delicious."

"You're gonna die for that, Buu," Gotenks said with a growl that sounded very at odds with his boyish features.

Sakura watched in her mind's eye as Gotenks transformed into a Super Saiyan 3. Though it was just a vision, she could tell that he even outclassed Mr. Vegeta in power. She was proud of the boys and what they'd accomplished. Even if they shouldn't have to fight a monster like Majin Buu, the fact that they were putting the creature on the defensive was very satisfying. She eventually moved her consciousness away from the image, focusing on untangling the mass of ki inside her, remembering Mr. Vegeta's lessons on strategy and tactics. The world needed her, and she would not let them down again.

Goku watched, during his short break from training, through the crystal ball as Gotenks started unleashing truly devastating, yet incredibly inspired, attacks on Majin Buu. That they'd achieved a level, together, that only he and Vegeta had managed was inspiring. Goku expected more horsing around from the boys, but they seemed to have changed during their training, no doubt due to Vegeta's influence. The man who'd once been his most heated rival had done a lot of changing, himself. He was much less brash and far less arrogant than he used to be. He was acting a lot more like Piccolo, always working hard to be as far ahead of his opponents as he could be, always planning battles and thinking six moves ahead. Goku might edge out Vegeta in terms of power, but the Saiyan Prodigy felt that, if they ever fought again, Vegeta might actually win by out-thinking him. Thinking like that, Goku was filled with a giddy energy. Energy that soon found an outlet when Vegeta landed next to him.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said firmly. "Super Saiyan 3, you and me."

"I thought you'd never ask!" Goku replied happily.

It took Kakarot longer than he did to transform, but he was no less powerful than he was. He could feel Supreme Kai's eyes focusing on the pair of Super Saiyans intently. Vegeta smirked, resolving to put on a good show for the gods. His anger towards Kakarot dissipated, at least partially, Vegeta found that he was really looking forward to fighting his eternal rival on an equal footing. His muscles aching with excess tension, Vegeta leapt into action, pouncing on Kakarot like a cat on prey. They might not have to defend the world, as strong as Gotenks was, but Vegeta refused to be caught off-guard again. Even in death, he would work to protect the people he loved.

**Author's Notes**

Jeez, that took a long time to write! Inspiration has been hard to come by, lately. Work and school have been _very_ tiring. Though, next chapter should, hopefully, come a bit easier than this one. I hope you guys like the moment of sheer badassery I gave Vegeta. The man has more than earned it, especially since, in my mind, he's on an almost equal level of power with Goku, now. I also hoped you like the look into the Mystic-ification process for Sakura. I'm actually kinda sad that it didn't turn out to be Gohan getting the powerup, this time, because Ultimate Gohan has to be my favourite form of Gohan. However, I have ways to make Gohan more badass, and besides, Ultimate Sakura will be just as good.

In my mind, the magic Elder Kai uses to make someone a Mystic not only unlocks their true power, as well as subtly teaching them about it and the nature of ki itself, but also unlocks their true _personality_. Compare Tournament Gohan with Ultimate Gohan, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Ultimate Gohan is much more confident and calm, ultimately relaxed and focused, with an unfortunate tinge of Saiyan overconfidence.

**Aznalpha**: I haven't gotten to watch any DBS, yet. However, I will include stuff from Battle of Gods. FnF...I dunno. It doesn't really make sense how Frieza can be god-tier in just a couple of months. I might replace that with a much more...substantial threat. Something more worthy of a pair of Godly Super Saiyans. Sides, I got something really cool in store for that, something I think you guys will like. A completely original plot line! Might find a way to fit a _substantially_ altered GT story in there, as well. Hammer out some of the gaping plot holes and whatnot.

Well, that's about it for now, folks! The next chapter of The Bardock Effect should be out soonish, so keep an eye out for that. Other than that, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Nineteen of _The Prince Ascendant_, Sakura Unleashed! Take care!


	19. Sakura Unleashed

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Nineteen: Sakura Unleashed

"Oh no!" Supreme Kai breathed, staring at the crystal ball with a horrified look.

"What happened, Supreme Kai?" Goku asked, signaling for a pause in the sparring between him, Gohan, and Vegeta.

"Gotenks," Supreme Kai replied desperately. "His fusion has worn off!"

"That's not good," Goku said, grinding his teeth a little.

"Just in time," Elder Kai said, standing up, patting Sakura on the shoulder. "You're ready, my dear."

"How do I use this power, Elder Kai?" Sakura asked, getting up.

"Just do that 'Super Saiyan' thing you do," Elder Kai replied. "It'll all come out naturally."

This was it. Sakura was still able to sense that ball of ki inside her, applying everything that she'd learned from Vegeta and during her meditations, she gave every single string a tug simultaneously. The ball instantly unraveled, and Sakura felt as her power exploded out from under her skin. As she unleashed everything, the grass was shorn from the hill on which she'd been sitting. It felt like a dream...she had all the power she'd ever had as an ascended Super Saiyan and more, but there was no physical change. Her body, her ki, was flowing almost as if it were water. Sakura sent out tendrils of ki and, suddenly, her awareness evolved with the rest of her power. If she concentrated a little, she could feel the ki from a single blade of grass. That mysterious, red ki might still be beyond her grasp, but the power she had now...she could feel it; it was every bit as immense as Vegeta's when he'd been a Super Saiyan 3.

"S-Sakura," Vegeta stammered out. "Your power!"

"That's unreal!" Gohan said, awed.

"Man, Elder Kai really must have been hard at work," Goku said, amazed. "I was beginning to think he was just having us on!"

"No respect," Elder Kai said, dusting himself off. "Of course it worked, you ninny! I'm more than smoke and mirrors, you know!"

"Still," Vegeta said breathless. "That it worked to this _degree_...I could never have expected it! She's stronger than I am as a Super Saiyan 3!"

"When you work with a young woman with such immense potential," Elder Kai said affably. "Its to be expected!"

"Are you ready to go, Sakura?" Kibito asked the young woman.

"If you're willing, Mr. Kibito, I have a request," Sakura replied.

"What is it you desire?"

"Could you give me a set of armour like Mr. Vegeta?" Sakura asked. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him...I owe him my life. I want to avenge him."

For a second, Vegeta wanted to state that he was still here, but thought better of it. It brought a tear to his eye, hearing his student speak so fondly of him. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

"I see," Kibito said warmly. "I can grant this request easily, but we must be off when we're done. Time is of the essence."

"I understand," Sakura said, nodding as her clothes changed to match Vegeta's pared-down Saiyan armour. "Thank you, Mr. Kibito. I am ready."

"Good luck!" Goku called out as the pair vanished.

Sakura and Kibito arrived without a sound on Earth. Surveying her surroundings, she felt Buu's ki nearby. Thanking Kibito, who wished her good luck, she sped off, not wanting to leave the boys at the non-existent mercies of that monster.

Piccolo's head perked up automatically. There was a new ki on the planet...a ki of unbelievable strength, and it was coming their way! The power was mind-boggling, but Piccolo steeled himself.

"Boys," Piccolo began, turning around. "Get ready, someone's coming!"

A form was streaking toward them in a flash of pure white. Trunks narrowed his eyes, focusing as hard as he could.

"It can't be," Trunks said breathlessly. "It...ITS MY DAD!"

"No," Piccolo said, as the form came closer. "Its Sakura!"

"Hey, guys," Sakura said as she landed. "What's the situation?"

"We thought you were dead!" Goten exclaimed.

"I would've been, had it not been for Supreme Kai," Sakura said calmly.

"That monster," Trunks said angrily, pointing towards Buu. "That monster killed dad, Sakura!"

"I met him in the Otherworld," Sakura replied gently. "He's training with Goku and Gohan as we speak. He's not going to be gone for long. We'll use the Dragon Balls to bring him back. Him and everyone else."

"So," Buu said, smiling. "You come to fight Buu again, little girl?"

"Fight?" Sakura asked, looking Buu dead in the eyes. "No. I'm going to kill you."

"People keep saying that," Buu replied with a casual smirk. "But-"

Before Buu could finish his sentence, Sakura's fist sent him flying backwards so fast, it created a sonic boom. Sakura was sick of this posturing creature. Buu was so sure of his power, so certain that he would win...she would prove him wrong.

"Buu will-!"

A blast destroyed Buu's head before he could finish his sentence. Sakura was done hearing him talk. A second blast destroyed Buu's right arm as his head was regenerating. She knew that he could rebuild himself almost endlessly, but Sakura needed Buu as far off balance as possible. Strong as she was, she knew that Buu was extremely deadly when thinking clearly. Bringing him to the point of sputtering rage, while likely dangerous, would leave him wide open to attack and make him less likely to formulate any kind of plan or contingency. It was that last part that had her worried. A lot of Buu's abilities were unknown factors. The fact that he managed to outwit her mentor, Vegeta, spoke volumes of the mind behind the simplistic words. Disrupting his mind was the first step in making sure this thing died and stayed dead.

"I think I understand you, Buu," Sakura said, appearing behind the stunned monster. "You fear any being that you can sense is stronger than you."

"Fear?!" Buu screamed. "Buu doesn't fear _you_!"

"You can lie to me," Sakura said calmly, swiping her arm to the side, bisecting Buu at the waist. "But you can't lie to yourself."

Internally, Buu was fuming. This girl...he'd fought her before. She was _nothing_, then. Yet, now, _somehow_, she was making a mockery of the greatest creature to ever terrorize the universe! He'd felt a power, far away, that was growing, but he didn't have a clue, until now, of the depth and magnitude of the being that was being created specifically for the purpose of destroying him. As he nearly dodged a ki blast that blew off his left arm, Buu was becoming angrier by the second. There had to be some way to beat this damnable girl! This murderous creature that was turning him into a laughingstock! Hammering away through a cloud of furious rage, Super Buu did everything he could to find some hole in her defenses, some weakness he could exploit, but was coming against a wall of calm calculation and firm confidence.

"There has to be a way," Buu ground out quietly to himself as he took yet another head-crushing blow.

"Uh, Trunks," Goten asked his friend in a hushed voice that caught Buu's attention. "How long has Sakura been beating on Buu?"

"Let's see," Trunks muttered, looking at the watch his mom bought him for his last birthday. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What is it, Trunks?"

"She's been whaling on Buu for an hour, now!" Trunks said, astonished. "She hasn't even broken a sweat..."

"We should fuse!" Goten said excitedly. "Together, I bet we could put that Buu monster down for good!"

"Good idea, Goten!" Trunks replied.

As the boys performed the fusion dance, Buu watched out of his periphery, letting two pieces of himself fall during a particularly vicious onslaught. He had his opening, now all he had to do was get into position and wait. The power of Gotenks and the mind of Piccolo...together, they'd be unstoppable! It was literally painful, given how savage a beating Sakura was giving him, to watch as the boys fused, his pieces in place and ready to pounce, their ki suppressed almost completely to hide their presence until it was time to strike. He couldn't afford a single mistake, a single miscalculation...one misstep, and he'd be as good as dead.

Sakura looked to the side as the boys fused and Gotenks emerged, already powered up to Super Saiyan 3. She was about to warn them away when two pink masses surged out from behind a pair of rocks, engulfing Gotenks and Piccolo. Sakura watched in horror as the pair fought the pink slime, only to be overcome, becoming little more than pink balls that sped toward a triumphant-looking Buu. It then dawned on her that she'd made a grievous miscalculation, cursing herself for her overconfidence. The two balls landed with a wet splat on Buu's body and engulfed him. Sakura felt the creature's ki soar beyond her own as he grew taller and, eventually, clothing emerged, styled similarly to Gotenks. His face took on a more human look, sporting a pointed nose and more intelligent-looking eyes.

"Now then," Buu said in a much smoother voice. "What do you say we finish this, little girl?"

Sakura, driven by panic, shunted all her ki into her hands, preparing a massive ki blast that, she hoped, would disintegrate Buu immediately.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Buu sighed, wagging a finger before appearing behind Sakura and laying a hand on her shoulder casually. "That won't do. Admit your defeat, girl. Maybe I'll even let you become part of me. How would you like that, becoming part of the greatest power this universe has ever seen?"

"I'd sooner die," Sakura growled.

Just as she was about to release her blast, Buu knocked her away, disrupting her concentration and causing the blast to dissipate harmlessly. Having the memories of the boys, as well as Piccolo, Buu understood why she was so reluctant to join him. Part of him didn't really blame her, and that realization was more than a little shocking. He knew that, when he absorbed someone, he took a little slice of their personalities, but to have such an effect was...strange, to say the least. Indeed, were he still not bent on destroying, or perhaps dominating he hadn't decided, the universe, he'd actually be tempted to leave the young woman alone. If nothing else, she'd prove an interesting distraction from time to time when she came to fight him again, which he knew she would, it was in her nature. Well, maybe she could find some peace once she'd become part of him. If nothing else, she'd be amongst friends. Besides, in the end, it'd either be her death or his, and Buu would much rather _he_ survive.

Back on Supreme Kai's world, Vegeta was watching the scene with fury building in his heart.

"DAMN IT!" he yelled angrily.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Goku asked worriedly.

"Buu somehow absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo!" Vegeta ground out. "He's going to beat Sakura unless we do something!"

"I can feel it now," Goku said in an awed tone. "He's stronger than both of us as Super Saiyan 3's..."

"Kakarot," Vegeta began quickly, a plan forming in his head. "Do you think Gogeta would stand a chance?"

"If we have enough time," Goku replied with a nod.

"I might have another idea," Elder Kai said, looking at the crystal ball. "You're using that Metamorese fusion, aren't you?"

"We are, yeah," Goku responded. "What's your idea, Elder Kai?"

"I can restore you to life, Goku," Elder Kai continued. "With one of you alive, the fusion will result in a living, breathing fighter with no restrictions on where they can and can't go. You can use these Potara earrings to fuse for the long term."

"Really?" Goku asked, amazed.

"How long is long term?" Vegeta asked, eyes narrowing.

"Permanently," Elder Kai replied. "Your eternal dragon might be able to undo the fusion, but I don't really know. You wouldn't be pressed for time, at least."

"I've never heard of this power of our earrings, Elder," Supreme Kai said.

"Of course not!" Elder Kai said testily. "That's because its only for emergencies! That, and the knowledge likely died with Dai Kaio."

"Could we keep the earrings and use them if we run out of time as Gogeta?" Vegeta asked hurriedly, knowing they were running out of time.

"That's certainly a possibility, yes," Elder Kai admitted. "Good thinking, as well. I don't blame you for being reticent in joining bodies with your rival on a permanent basis. Here," he continued, handing the earrings to Vegeta. "You can use mine. Now, Goku, are you ready to be returned to the world of the living?"

"Whenever you're ready, Elder Kai," Goku said calmly, sitting before the wizened old man.

A strange sensation rushed through Goku's body, as if fresh blood were flooding his body. He felt Elder Kai's ki dissipate, and nodded sadly toward the old man who was so willing to give his life to save the universe. He felt Elder Kai's ki begin to resurface and turned toward Vegeta.

"Are you ready, Vegeta?" Goku asked, already knowing the answer.

"As I'll ever be, Kakarot," Vegeta admitted. "Let's do this."

Transforming into Super Saiyans and matching their ki levels, Goku and Vegeta performed the fusion dance without a moment wasted. Soon, Gogeta was standing before an awestruck Gohan. The fused warrior merely smiled at his son and felt his pocket, ensuring the earrings were still there and used Goku's Instant Transmission to teleport to Buu. This fight was going to end, here and now.

A titanic ki appeared on the battlefield and startled both Buu and the battered Sakura. Looking over their shoulders, they saw the form of Gogeta, standing just a few meters away with his arms crossed, looking at Buu with his face set in murderous relief. Sakura's heart lifted; Gogeta, she could feel, was well and truly pissed.

"Those," Gogeta began angrily to Buu. "Were my sons you absorbed."

"You," Buu replied with a growl. "They remember you...Gogeta."

Something inside Gogeta snapped. The fact this thing was reaching into his son's minds, using their memories...it was sickening. Knowing his time was limited, Gogeta charged, sending a knee crashing into Buu's stomach without a moment's hesitation. Drawing his arms behind either side of his body, Gogeta sent a torrent of ki into his palms. In a single, fluid motion, he drew his right arm back into a position Sakura knew almost immediately, though the power felt far different from what she'd expected.

"Galick," Gogeta growled, throwing his arms forward. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

A swirling vortex of red and white ki shot forward with blinding speed. Gogeta's heart fell slightly, feeling the ki of Gotenks and Piccolo still alive somewhere in Buu. If the attack killed the creature, at least he could bring his sons and friend back afterward. Now was not the time to second guess himself. Especially not now, when he could sense Buu reforming.

"I," Buu coughed angrily. "I am the ultimate being! How? HOW ARE YOU STRONGER THAN ME?!"

"Ultimate being," Gogeta said slowly, punching Buu in the gut. "You're not the first to make that claim. You won't be the last."

"I will eat you," Buu growled as he got up, enraged. "I will leave your mind intact so you can SCREAM as I consume you!"

"Not a chance," Gogeta replied, dodging the weird...candy...beam thing that Buu shot at him.

Getting her wind back, Sakura watched as Gogeta and Buu went at it again, their blows occasionally leveling mountains. Taking this time, she closed her eyes and focused on what she'd learned from Elder Kai. In her mind's eye, Sakura could see the ki of both Buu and Gogeta. Minute after minute, attack after attack, she watched. Gogeta's ki was behaving...strangely. Every time he expended some power, it became more and more obvious that there were really two ki signals coming from him, slowly separating as the expenditure strained their joining ever further. That wasn't the strangest part, though. Shifting her focus to Buu, she could sense something similar going on within Buu's body. With a flash of insight, she realized that Gotenks' fusion was still breaking down inside him. Strong as the magic holding his body together was, it couldn't seem to hold the connection keeping Gotenks one indefinitely. Eventually, it'd wear off, and the bulk of his power would be gone. It'd be close, though...Gogeta would likely be only seconds ahead of him. If Gogeta failed to destroy Buu, maybe she'd get a chance to make up for her previous failure...she had enough power to annihilate Buu, if she didn't mess around.

During a momentary pause, Gogeta felt his pocket...the earrings were still there. He knew his time was likely nearing its end. It was proof of Piccolo's sheer brilliance that Buu had managed to avoid destruction by his hands for this long. This creature would deform his body in grotesque ways, even managing to land solid blows on the fused Saiyan, would pretend to be destroyed only to reform from a single blob of matter. After beating Buu into the ground again, the creature stood up, a horrified look on his face. Gogeta looked on, astounded, as Gotenks' clothes disappeared and Buu was left standing in Piccolo's outfit, his power drastically reduced. His sons' fusion had worn off inside him. Before he could enjoy his victory, though, Gogeta's body shifted and broke apart.

Seeing her opportunity, Sakura charged. She didn't have time to stop as the triumphant smirk formed on Buu's face as he saw her. His body contorted and shifted, wrapping around Sakura. After a momentary struggle it was over. Panicked at what was happening, Vegeta grabbed the earring in his pocket, knowing the fusion had left the other in Kakarot's pocket.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta yelled quickly. "Earring! Now!"

"Vegeta, what-"

"No time!" Vegeta replied, putting the earring on.

"Right," Goku said with a nod, putting his earring on. "Let's finish this, Vegeta."

"Damn right," Vegeta ground out as his and Kakarot's bodies were hurtled toward one another, and they fused.

As Buu's appearance finished changing, he was blinded by a gout of bright light. After it dimmed, he stood face-to-face with another warrior with a very serious, _very_ angry scowl on his face. His clothes looked like a blend of Goku and Vegeta's, his hair standing on end like the Prince, but with Goku's bangs.

"A Kakarot and a Vegeta," the warrior said calmly, looking at his hands. "Guess that makes me...Vegito."

**Author's Notes**

Another one down! And, thus, Vegito is born. Vegito vs Buukura, who will win? Aah, been lookin forward to this. I love Vegito, though this version of him is going to be more than a little different from his canon version due to a rather marked shift in Vegeta's personality. Also, when it comes to that point, I'll shorten it to Godly Super Saiyan or something similar. SSGSS is just too damned much to type out, but a fusion of the two would likely yield good results. Also, can't wait to get into Battle of Gods era! I have some stuff for that which I think you guys will like, something a bit more challenging than a blinged-out Frieza for people training with freaking WHIS. Anywho, that's bout it for now, so I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty (!) of _The Prince Ascendant_, Vegito Arisen! Take care!


	20. Vegito Arisen

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty: Vegito Arisen

"Vegito, Gogeta," Buu said flippantly. "Can you two decide on a name when you fuse? This really is getting very annoying."

"Get used to the name," Vegito said with an edge to his voice. "This fusion's permanent."

"Using the magic Kai earrings, eh?" Buu said, recalling the memories he stole from Dai Kaio. "Well, this should prove to be _very_ entertaining!"

"No," Vegito said, shunting ki into his left hand. "It won't."

Without hesitation, Vegito fired a gigantic ki blast towards Buu. Vegito could feel his progenitors' anger towards this creature, and the fire it created was magnified by his fusion. He'd failed to destroy this creature twice, already. There would not be a third time.

"If you kill me," Buu said, reforming his body. "You kill your little friends, your sons. Are you _really_ willing to take their lives just to destroy me?"

"You dare," Vegito ground out. "Try to use them against me?! I'll tell you what they'd want!" He yelled, punching Buu hard in the gut before slamming his elbow down on Buu's head sending him into the ground, forming a massive crater. "They would want me to kill you at any cost, even their own lives. Every one of them would be willing to give everything to save the universe, to save those they love. I. AM. NO. DIFFERENT!"

Letting the rage fuel him, Vegito decided it was time to show Buu just how far into the ground he was going to beat him. His power exploded from his skin as electricity arced from his body, his hair standing on end and turning gold. Vegito would kill Buu as a normal Saiyan...as an ascended Super Saiyan, he was ready to _break_ him. Buu flew towards him, a look of fury on his face, and Vegito merely floated there, scowling, silently daring the pink monster to attack him. A fist landed on his face, but Vegito didn't flinch, he didn't even feel it.

"Buu," Vegito said simply as the creature pulled his fist away with a look of dawning horror. "I am going to destroy you. You will pay for your crimes."

"You..." Buu began, horrified. "How are you this strong?"

"I'm the fusion of the two strongest Saiyans in the universe," Vegito said calmly. "Nothing comes close to _my_ power, least of all _you_."

"I will make you pay for that," Buu said angrily. "No one mocks Buu!"

"I'm not mocking you," Vegito replied, taking the opportunity to blast off Buu's head. "I'm simply stating a fact. I'll give you one chance, Majin Buu," he continued as Buu reformed. "Give me back my family and leave, swearing to never harm anyone again. Take it or die, your choice."

"You think I'm going to give up?!" Buu screamed. "I'll never give up my power! Besides," he continued mockingly. "We both know you don't have it in you to kill your little friends. I die, they die."

"Do you," Vegito said in an eerily calm voice, floating to the point of being nose-to-nose with Buu. "Want to put that theory to the test, then?"

"You can't-" Buu tried to get out before Vegito sent him flying toward the ground.

"Your kind always make the mistake," Vegito said, scowling, as he shunted a large amount of ki into his left hand, pointing it at Buu. "Of telling people like _me_ what we can and can't do. I'm about to show you what I can do!"

Buu panicked as the blast careened towards him; it had more than enough power to wipe him out. Barely dodging out of the way in time, Buu realized that this Vegito wasn't messing around. He was ready and willing to kill his family just to destroy him. It made no sense! He was supposed to be a hero! What kind of insane monster was this guy? Buu backed away reflexively as Vegito appeared before him, his heart hammered so hard that he barely noticed the green Kamehameha forming in Vegito's hands. Thinking as quickly as he could, Buu fired a blast into the ground, kicking up a massive dust cloud and shot upward as fast as he could. That proved to be too little, far too late.

"Final," Vegito said, his eyes fixed on Buu as he moved. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

Buu fired a Kamehameha of his own towards the beam, hoping to force the murder-beam away from him long enough to survive. The two beams clashed with the sound of a volcano exploding, sending sparks of ki flying everywhere. Buu poured everything he had into his attack, but even his power had its limits. Looking on in mute horror, Buu saw the emerald beam of ki push ever closer to him until, at last, his Kamehameha dissipated and he was awash in green light, his body being ripped apart and destroyed. The last thought to pass through his mind before his death was regret that he'd provoked a being as powerful as Vegito.

At last, the thing was done. His friends and family could be brought back, and the Earth was safe, Buu's signature was gone completely. Maybe Shenron could even break him apart back into Goku and Vegeta. While he enjoyed the power he now possessed, he also knew that his constituents would prefer to be back to their own, separate bodies. Powering down to normal, Vegito sought out Dende's ki signature, finding it on the Lookout. Focusing on Dende, Vegito used Instant Transmission and disappeared, reappearing in the midst of a solid wall of sound.

"Buu's gone?" Krillin asked in disbelief.

"Who's this guy?" Videl asked, looking at Vegito.

"I am Vegito," he responded simply. "I was formed by the fusion of Goku and Vegeta using the Elder Kai's magic earrings."

"Vegito," Bulma began, her eyes widening as a horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Where are Goten and Trunks?"

"Gone," Vegito said in a sick voice. "Buu...he absorbed them, as well as Piccolo and Sakura. I killed Buu, but in doing so, I...I killed them."

"Why?" Bulma asked weakly as she fell to her knees, crying. "Couldn't you find a way to get them out? Get them free?"

"Bulma," Vegito said gently, kneeling before one of the women he loved. "I wouldn't have been able to free them without running the risk of getting absorbed by Buu, myself. If...if there had been a way, I would have done it, I swear."

"I know," Bulma replied with a heavy sigh. "And, I know we'll bring them back with the Dragon Balls, its just...its a lot to take at once."

"Just out of curiosity," Krillin began, looking at Vegito. "How long does this fusion of yours last, Vegito?"

"Elder Kai said it was permanent," Vegito replied. "But, he also said that Shenron could potentially undo it. It was necessary, they didn't have enough time as Gogeta to beat Buu, so they fused into me as a last resort."

"Potentially?" Chi Chi asked angrily. "You mean there's a chance you'll be stuck like this forever?"

"They knew the risks," Vegito replied calmly. "Both Goku and Vegeta were willing to risk ending their existence as individuals to protect everyone from Buu."

"At least there's a chance," Tien said quietly. "Which is better than what we had if Buu had survived. If nothing else, we'll get everyone else back."

"Vegito," Bulma asked, her breath steadying. "How much of Vegeta is in you? I mean...well..."

"I have everything of both of them," Vegito replied in a measured voice. "Their memories, their feelings...everything they were, I am."

"I'm not sure if Shenron can undo what's been done to make you, Vegito," Dende began thoughtfully. "I've been spending a lot of time studying the statue Kami made of Shenron...if the magic that made you was of the mortal realm, then undoing it shouldn't be a problem. If its divine in nature..."

"What then?" Vegito asked, an eyebrow arched.

"If the magic that formed you was divine in nature," Dende continued with a regretful sigh. "Then...I don't think Shenron would be able to separate Goku and Vegeta. Even the Eternal Dragon has his limits."

"Could you enable Shenron to break divine magic?" Vegito asked, growing more worried by the minute. "Like how you gave him the power to grant two wishes instead of just one?"

"I'm sorry, Vegito," Dende responded, his head down. "I'd have to be a god to do that, or have the cooperation of one, lending their divine magic to my own. Even then, the process would likely take five or six years."

"Maybe Supreme Kai would be willing to help," Vegito said, looking up toward the sky. "He _does_ owe me one. A big one."

"Could it be made to do so only once?" Supreme Kai said in their heads.

"I didn't know you could use telepathy, Supreme Kai," Vegito said curiously.

"I cannot, however, North Kai has graciously offered to help me communicate with you," he replied.

"And good job on defeating Majin Buu, by the way!" North Kai said happily. "Just so you know, the rest of your friends made it to the Otherworld safely. They're all okay, Vegito."

"That's good to hear," Vegito said with a sigh of relief.

"As to your question, Supreme Kai," Dende said, returning to the matter at hand. "I think that should be possible, though it'd still take almost five years to effect the change. Why are you asking?"

"I am..." Supreme Kai began hesitantly. "Uncomfortable with the idea of mortals being able to undo the work of the gods. However, I believe I can grant an exception in Vegito's case. I, no, the entire universe, owes him and the men that gave their individuality to make him their lives. This will be but a small down payment on what we owe."

"Just be careful with those Dragon Balls!" Elder Kai butted in. "Nothing comes without a cost, not even magic. _Especially_ magic."

"We'll keep that in mind, Elder Kai," Vegito said respectfully, fully aware of the sacrifices the old god had made to help secure the victory.

"This...this is going to be an awkward few years," Yamcha said, scratching his head.

"How so?" Vegito asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, I mean..." Yamcha stammered out. "You're technically husband to Chi Chi _and_ Bulma."

Vegito's eyes widened, he hadn't even considered that! Given how...fierce both women were, this was sure to make things very strange, to say the least. He held a deep, abiding love for both women and both families. At the heart of the matter, a question formed: would they still love him? While it was true that he was formed from Goku and Vegeta, Vegito was a being unto himself, with his own personality, his own mind. A pit began to form where his stomach used to be. He'd killed their children, he was born from the sacrifice of their husbands' lives. He represented everything that the fight with Buu had taken from them, from loved ones to his children's innocence. The dark thoughts filling his mind, Vegito sped off, wishing to be alone to sort out his emotions.

"Why'd he fly away?" Chi Chi asked, watching Vegito streak off.

"I don't know," Krillin said quietly. "But, did you see the look on his face? He was conflicted about something."

"I can't say that I blame him," Dende added sadly. "Now that the fight's over, he has to sort out his identity."

"He's just Goku and Vegeta, though," Krillin said before he heard a cough behind him, one belonging to the voice Vegito had called Elder Kai.

"He is not 'just Goku and Vegeta,' youngster," Elder Kai said in a warning tone. "Vegito is his own being, and will be until he can the fusion can be undone. He has their memories, power, and abilities, but he has his own personality, an amalgam of the two warriors from whom he was made, true, but distinct nonetheless."

"Wait a sec," Krillin said, looking at the wrinkled, old Kai's halo. "You're dead! How are you just standing there like its nothing?"

"Don't you younger types ever _think_?" Elder Kai said in a frustrated tone. "I'm a _god_, dimwit! Though I may be dead, I'm still free to go wherever I please with the assistance of Kibito, here."

"No need to get so defensive, jeez," Krillin said quietly.

"Before you ask another boneheaded question," Elder Kai began, ignoring the quip from Krillin. "I am here to make sure nothing goes wrong with Vegito's fusion. He's a unique case, after all."

"Unique in what respect?" Bulma asked, her voice returning to normal.

"In many respects," Elder Kai responded with a solemn nod. "First, he is the only Potara fused being I know of that was made by the joining of two mortals. Second, he was made by the fusion of a living being and a dead one. Thirdly, he has an inordinate amount of ki. I need to make sure that the merger is stable."

"What would happen if it weren't?" Bulma asked in a worried tone.

"Worst case," Elder Kai replied, his voice sinking into a whisper. "His merger becomes unstable and his power rages out of control. Eventually, his instability will reach its peak, and he'll explode...with the kind of power he possesses, that kind of explosion would likely destroy this entire star system. I'd really like to avoid that, if at all possible."

"Should I find and fetch Vegito, Elder?" Kibito asked as Dende and Supreme Kai held forth on something unrelated.

"Not yet," Elder Kai said, shaking his head. "Such instability will take at least a few months to appear, so we have time. Right now, he is likely in a vulnerable psychological state, so we need to avoid pushing him too far, too fast."

"How do you know so much about this kind of fusion?" Tien asked, curious.

"I'm a product of Potara fusion," Elder Kai explained. "It was...a very long time ago, long before I was sealed away in the Z Sword by another god over some petty disagreement. I was a handsome young man, back then. A witch, one who managed to sneak on to our world through magic, caught me by surprise and stole one of my earrings, saying it was too pretty for someone like me, and put it on. I became a wrinkled old prune, but I also gained everything the witch knew about magic," taking a moment to look around at the people listening to him, Elder Kai continued. "Potara fusion was also occasionally used by the ancient Kais in cases of extreme emergency, when the power and magic of one Kai alone wasn't enough. However, only Kais ever fused by the Potara earrings, so Vegito's case is unusual, to say the least."

"So, you suffered from this...identity crisis, too?" Tien asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Indeed I did," Elder Kai said with a heavy sigh. "I was in love with a young Kai before then. She was...beautiful, even today, I can recall her face. After the witch fused with me, I was so worried by what she would think of me looking old enough to be her grandfather that I pushed her away. A few years later, she was killed during a battle with an evil god that was trying to invade this dimension. That...that was before this planet even existed."

"You're really _that_ old?!" Bulma exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Yamcha asked Bulma.

"We've managed to date the Earth," Bulma said in a hushed tone. "Several times over. You're...really over four and a half _billion_ years old?"

"We Kais live for a long time," Elder Kai said with a small laugh. "It doesn't hurt that I was sealed away for most of Earth's lifetime."

"So," Chi Chi said a bit sadly. "What do you recommend we do, Elder Kai? I mean...he's still my husband."

"Mine, too!" Bulma chimed in jokingly.

"I think," Elder Kai began, his voice returning to normal. "We should give Vegito some space, for a little while. He'll come back on his own, and when he does, just be there for him and let him know that, no matter what, you still care for him. That, more than anything, is what he needs, now."

"Thank you for your help, Elder Kai," Bulma said quietly, leaning over and hugging the old god. "It...it means a lot, really."

"Hehe," Elder Kai began with a mirthful laugh. "Anything for pretty, young ladies like yourselves."

"So," Chi Chi began hesitantly, looking at Bulma. "How are we going to deal with this? Once he gets back, I mean."

"That," Bulma said with a sigh. "Is a very good question. He...he is made from our husbands, and he said he has their memories and feelings for us. The easiest thing would be for us to...well..._share_ until he can be separated."

"If he even _wants_ to be separated by the time this is all done," Tien said thoughtfully.

"I..." Bulma began, an ashamed flush creeping up her face. "I hadn't even considered that, Tien. All this time, we've been talking about him turning back into Goku and Vegeta, and not once did we ask him if he wanted to."

"If he doesn't want to," Chi Chi began, scratching her chin. "I guess we _could_ share. Goku...Goku's been gone a long time, but if Vegito's still got Goku in him, I couldn't see myself _not_ loving him. Assuming you're okay with that, Bulma."

"I'd have to actually do it to see how it'd be in practice, but," Bulma said, stretching her arms. "I'm certainly willing to try."

"He's still daddy," Bra said, startling her mother. "Right? If he loves us, we should love him, too!"

"Leave it to the youngest person here," Krillin said with a light laugh as Bulma embraced her daughter. "To end up making the most sense."

"You're right, honey," Bulma said with a smile. "No matter what, we'll still love him."

Far away, Vegito was sitting on a mountain peak, wondering what to do...where to go. If both his families rejected him, where would he live? Would he live like Grandpa Gohan: a veritable hermit on Mt. Paozu? Would he find a way to make money and live in an apartment in a city somewhere? If he chose the latter, he really didn't know how to make a lot of money. Neither of the men who made him had memories of working a job. The closest thing he could find was a vague memory of Goku growing radishes. Maybe he'd end up a farmer. With the power to wipe out entire star systems. It was all so absurd.

If...if, on the off-chance his families still wanted him around, how would he be husband to _both_ Chi Chi _and_ Bulma? He did have certain...desires, when it came to those women, and he really didn't know how they'd respond to him having them in equal measure for both of them. Being a father to Trunks, Bra, _and_ Goten did appeal to him, even if it'd be hectic. Thinking about his children, Vegito stood up, his resolution firm. This wasn't about him, anymore. This was about _them_, what they needed. He was their father, and here he was, sulking atop a mountain when his daughter needed him. He could sort his own feelings and identity out later. For now, he had children, and they needed their father. Focusing on his daughter, he felt her ki still at the Lookout, along with everyone else...and Elder Kai, Supreme Kai, and Kibito. Sighing and committing himself to facing the proverbial music, Vegito used Instant Transmission to teleport to the crowd. It was time to do the right thing.

**Author's Notes**

Well, Buu got wrecked. Yes, this does mean that there won't be a Mr. Buu or Uub. However, I have a fairly good reason for ending Buu the way I did. Vegito's fusion joined and _amplified_ not only his constituent's bodies and power, but their personalities, as well. Both Goku and Vegeta were, at the time of Vegito's formation, wanting to finally end this battle once and for all. Those joint, selfsame desires fused together in Vegito's mind and became magnified. He showed off just a little due to Goku's influence, but the desire to end the battle was stronger. Thankfully, the people Buu absorbed hadn't been fully integrated, yet like the old Supreme Kais (and Dai Kaio) that Buu absorbed. So, instead of forever being part of Buu, they died as separate beings, with Buu being immediately recycled due to the danger he posed to everything and the others being sent to Earth's check-in station.

Also, Shenron is powerful and gamebreaking, but even he has limits. The magic that made Vegito is divine magic, magic of the gods. Kami, for all his talent at magic, was still mortal, and so is Dende. Neither of them have the necessary power to counteract divine magic and, thus, neither does Shenron. Hence why he needs Supreme Kai's help.

Yes, Elder Kai is every bit as old as he claims. My theory is that, unless their souls are literally obliterated, Kais, as gods of creation, only ever truly die when their universe dies. But, _they still die_. Just like everything else, they can just live an inordinately long time.

Finally, before I answer individual reviews: I fully admit Chapter 19 was weak. And rushed. Instead of taking my time and carefully crafting things, I just said "fuck it," and went with canon events, even if they didn't make sense for the characters. For that, I apologize. Life's been a bit of a bitch, lately, but things are starting to look up again, which is why this chapter is, or at least should be, better than the last one. With that out of the way, let's answer some things!

**Dumplin clone 74:** There's no official schedule for chapters. There's a few reasons for this, chief amongst them being I don't write well when I feel rushed. I'd prefer taking my time to make things make sense than fit some arbitrary schedule. Plus, writing when you aren't really feeling it is never a good idea.

**Seantbrendle:** I don't know if Gohan's potential will be unlocked or not. It really depends on Elder Kai's disposition. He might just ask for an exchange (maybe pictures of a certain Prince's wife), but he might also not want to be shoehorned into the "unlock my power" guy. Either way, Gohan will keep training. After seven years of Vegeta drilling "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" into his head, he's not giving his training up for anything.

**George:** Aye, it was rushed. However, a _lot_ of that saga, at least as I recall, was padding. Padding fits when talking about the canon characters, as they're more prone to, for lack of a better term, screwing around. It, however, does not fit when it comes to the centre of the story (Vegeta) learning just why screwing around with beings that can annihilate worlds is a bad idea.

**Knight of Hades:** Thank you! Personally, I think GSSJ Goku is likely stronger than SSJG, even if just by a bit. The reason is that the ritual was just to unlock the ability, to draw out the potential. GSSJ Goku had spent at least some time training with both a god-tier Vegeta and _Whis_. In terms of OP characters that aren't magic dragons, Whis has to be right at the top. But, I've crafted a fair explanation for why Whis is to gods like Beerus what Beerus is to, say, Krillin. Won't reveal it, yet, but let's just say it'll make Whis even more scary.

Well, that's about it for this chapter, folks. I'll catch ya next time for Chapter Twenty One of _The Prince Ascendant_, Awkward New Beginnings! Take care!


	21. Awkward New Beginnings

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty One: Awkward New Beginnings

"That, in a nutshell," Vegito said with a heavy sigh. "Is how I feel about this whole thing."

He'd been talking non-stop for the past twenty minutes. It'd been difficult, at first, telling the women he loved, what remained of both his families, what he was going through. That was, until Bulma had told him to just say what he felt, just tell them what was going on in his head. It was advice he'd remembered her giving Vegeta more than once. That led to a very emotional, yet very cathartic, discussion on how he was worried if his wives even loved him, given what he was and what he'd done. They'd practically shouted him down, then, loudly informing him that they loved him regardless and accepted that he did what he believed was necessary. He'd discussed his identity, telling them that he still wasn't sure exactly who he was, something they'd accepted with quiet kindness, offering to help him however they could, something for which he was very grateful. They'd asked if he wanted to separate...he didn't know, and told them as much. Vegito admitted that he wanted Dende and the Supreme Kai to continue working on Shenron, just in case, but he didn't know if he liked who he was, if he wanted to continue being Vegito.

"If you don't mind, Vegito," Elder Kai began gently after the fused warrior poured out his soul to his friends and family. "I'd like to take a moment to examine you, make sure your merger is stable."

"Don't see how I can say no," Vegito said with a shrug, sitting down in front of Elder Kai.

"Hm," Elder Kai said in a low voice as he waved his hands over Vegito's head. "The combined ki sources seem to have merged well enough, there's little to no friction, there...how odd..."

"That doesn't sound good," Vegito grumbled. "What do you mean 'odd?'"

"When Kais fuse with the Potara earrings," Elder Kai began, entering into lecture mode. "There's always some friction in the merger as the two personalities vie for dominance. Eventually, one wins out and becomes dominant. In your case, Vegito, the two personalities that formed you were both equally strong, but neither fought the other for dominance. Instead, they cooperated, fully joining themselves together, hence your more hybrid nature. This is a good thing, as it helps your merger be more stable."

"Why would it be unstable to begin with?" Vegito asked, confused.

"These earrings were originally designed to fuse gods," Elder Kai said with a small sigh, sitting in front of the warrior he helped create. "Divine ki and mortal ki, as well as divine and mortal magic, operate at two completely different levels. Just because you can fuse one does not mean that you are attempting to fuse the other. It would seem that the creator of the earrings knew more of what he was doing than we originally thought. There's also the matter of your power..."

"My power?"

"Yes," Elder Kai continued. "Your level of ki is phenomenal, Vegito. However, that was cause for concern, before I took a look at you. Such high power levels are rarely stable in mortals. It would seem that your unique Saiyan physiology is to thank for that, as your body is regulating your ki naturally, without assistance and without resistance. Indeed, your merger is one of the most complete I've ever encountered. If you would permit me, I would like to do a quarterly checkup on you, just to make sure, though."

"What would you do if I became unstable?" Vegito asked tentatively, wary of what the Old Kai had planned.

"I would place you in magical stasis," Elder Kai said, lowering his head. "Do not worry, it wouldn't hurt you, merely keep your situation from deteriorating while we found a way to either restabilize or dissolve your merger."

"So," Vegito began, his relief obvious. "You wouldn't just kill me, then, good. Thank you, Elder Kai. Its good to know that I've got someone like you on my side. As for the checkups, I should be able to find you on Supreme Kai's world and get there by Instant Transmission."

"So, doc," Krillin said casually, walking up to Elder Kai. "What's the prognosis? Is our boy doing well?"

"Beyond well," Elder Kai responded a trifle testily as he got up. "It would appear that I chose far better than I knew when I gave the earrings to Goku and Vegeta. Powerful and, as far as I can tell, stable. You don't get much better than that!"

"I'll wait until after they bring back the people lost during Buu's assault," Dende said to Supreme Kai as the pair walked out on to the Lookout's courtyard.

"I'd be careful with that, if I were you," Elder Kai warned. "I'll let it slide, this time, but using that kind of power too often is never a good thing. Builds an unhealthy dependency, and _nothing_ comes without a price."

"We'll keep that in mind, Elder Kai," Dende said with a small bow that at least partially mollified the old god.

"Shall I take you back to our world, Elder?" Kibito asked Elder Kai in a formal tone.

"What?" Elder Kai asked, momentarily distracted. "Oh, yes, I suppose so. Remember my words, Vegito."

"I will, Elder Kai," Vegito replied with a bow. "And thank you, again."

"You're most welcome, youngster," Elder Kai said kindly before turning to Kibito. "Right, then, let's hit the road!"

"So," Bulma began a bit quietly, walking up to Vegito. "Should we get our search for the Dragon Balls started?"

"Bulma," Vegito said with a small sigh. "If you don't mind, I'd like to do the search on my own. I just...I need some time to think about everything that's gone on."

"Of course, dear," Bulma said gently, pulling the Dragon Radar from her pocket and placing it in Vegito's hand.

"You had this on you the whole time?" Vegito asked with a laugh and a smile.

"With all the insane things that have gone on since I first made this thing," Bulma said, stretching her arms theatrically. "I figured it'd be best if I just kept it on me in case we need to find the Dragon Balls in a pinch."

"Just like you to always think ten steps ahead of everyone," Vegito said happily, lightly mussing his wife's hair. "Thank you, for everything."

"You're still my husband," Bulma said quietly, grasping Vegito's hand. "I'm here for you, we all are. Me, Chi Chi, the kids, everybody. You're not alone, Vegito."

"If you're trying to make me cry," Vegito began quietly, but with a smile, a tear rolling down his face. "Its working."

"Ass," Bulma said with a laugh, lightly jabbing Vegito in the side with her elbow. "But, seriously, we're your family. We know we can count on you...you should know that you can count on us, too. Its what family does."

Vegito couldn't trust his words, and so opted to simply smile at Bulma. She might not be able to sense ki, but he could tell that she knew how much of a balm her words had been. Family. Such a strange word, sometimes. So simple, but with so much meaning, so much...power. Both Goku and Vegeta had known what it was to be lonely, to live without a family. Both men had found their families here, had found people who they loved and who loved them. Instead of spending solitary days alone and hurting, they had people there willing to shoulder their burdens, ready and able to hear them out, even if only to just listen. As he prepared for his journey, Vegito started to see that maybe they were more powerful than he'd given them credit for being. They might not be able to stop cosmic horrors from destroying their worlds, but they could heal wounds better than any medicine.

Vegito said his temporary goodbyes to his family and friends, explaining why he felt the need to go on this quest alone. Chi Chi reminded him that the Four Star ball was still in their bedroom, Goku kept it as a memorial to his grandfather. His spirit bolstered by the love of his family and friends, Vegito sped off towards the north, the Dragon Radar showing one of the balls in the frozen wastes of Yunzabit Heights. Two hours later, Vegito was standing atop a cliff overlooking the craggy, frostbitten hell the first Dragon Ball was located. The Fused Warrior took a moment to breathe the biting cold in deep. Something about it was energizing, invigorating. Though the wind howled and his skin began to tighten in response to the intense cold, Vegito barely noticed. He had purpose. He had a goal, something to drive him. This quest for the Dragon Balls would be good for him, and maybe he could help some people along the way. Flying off, Vegito easily found the area the Dragon Ball had landed. Using a small kiai, he uncovered the glowing, golden ball, the Six Starr Dragon Ball, beneath the icy snow. As he picked it up, the ice beneath his feet cracked and, before he could react, Vegito found himself in free fall, dropping like a brick into a dark cave.

As he landed, the area around Vegito lit up with strange, glowing runes. A slightly effeminate-sounding male voice rang in his mind.

_Turn back, now,_ the voice said. _Tell no one of this place, let it stay buried forever_. For some reason, Vegito felt the overpowering urge to run...and vomit. Something in here felt horribly _wrong_. Evil. Demented..._twisted_. Speeding out of the cave, Vegito heeded the voice's words. He couldn't help it, there was something there far beyond his own ken. As he flew away, the memory vanished from Vegito's mind, replaced with a simple desire to move on with his quest. Clicking the Radar twice, Vegito saw a familiar-looking area in the east, almost on the opposite end of the world, which had another Dragon Ball. Pushing himself as fast as he could go, wanting to know the limits of his body, Vegito found himself overlooking a small town, one Goku had visited many, many years ago as a child: Jingle Village. His eyes narrowed at what looked to be a rebuilt Muscle Tower, but Vegito hoped it was just a regular military outpost, but he had a bad feeling. Landing in the village, Vegito felt an air of tension and apprehension.

"E-excuse me, sir?" Vegito heard a female voice calling out behind him. "Its just...your gi, it looks familiar. I had a friend who wore one similar to yours, do you know...do you know Goku?"

"Suno," Vegito said, hardly believing his eyes. Though it'd been many years since Goku had seen her, she still had that long, straight red hair...that same kindly face. "I...I _am_ Goku."

"You look so different, though," Suno said hesitantly.

"I...he joined bodies with another warrior, Vegeta, to save the world, I am the result," he replied, bowing. "I go by Vegito."

"Truly?" Suno asked, placing a gloved hand on Vegito's face. "It is true, you have that same look in your eyes..."

"Everything seems so tense here, Suno," Vegito began, looking toward the Tower. "What happened?"

"Its so terrible!" Suno cried. "Last year, a man called General Black rebuilt Muscle Tower, claiming it for the Black Tie Army! They've been bleeding the town dry, and they stole our Dragon Ball!"

"I need that Dragon Ball," Vegito said with a hint of anger. "To bring back my family. What of Eighter?"

"He's okay, he's out collecting wood," Suno began, looking into Vegito's eyes. "What happened to your family?"

"A monster was unearthed," Vegito said sadly. "Called Majin Buu. It...he would've destroyed the world had it not been for Goku and Vegeta joining to make me. As it was, three of my children and two of my friends died in the battle."

"That's terrible!" Suno cried. "Please, if you rescue us from the Black Tie Army, you can keep the Dragon Ball! Please help us, Vegito."

"You needn't ask," Vegito said firmly. "I can't just sit by and let things like this stand. I'll be back shortly."

"I, Vegito," Vegito said loudly, walking up to the door to Muscle Tower. "Demand you cease your hostilities!"

A trio of toughs, dressed in smart-looking formal suits with silky, black ties jumped from the balcony two floors up, landing on the snow in front of Vegito.

"Looks like we got another brave one," a spiky-haired thug said, twirling a knife, looking at Vegito. "Who do you think you are, giving us orders like that, huh? Think we answer to you, big shot?"

"Leave," Vegito said simply. "And harm no one again. Do that, and hand over the Dragon Ball, and you won't have to deal with _me_."

"An earring-wearing fruit like you?" the thug said incredulously. "Take on the glorious Black Tie Army? Good luck, mate. Let's get 'im, boys!"

"You were warned," Vegito said with a sigh. In a flash, the three toughs were lying on the ground, unconscious. Not wanting to waste any more time than was absolutely necessary, Vegito floated up to the top floor and blew out a window leading into the biggest office he could see.

"Who are you?!" a fat man with thin, wispy, gray hair gasped as Vegito floated calmly into his office. "What do you want?"

"One," Vegito said firmly. "I want you and your Army to turn yourselves in to the _real_ army. Two, I want you to leave this village alone. Three,I want your Dragon Ball."

"You think I'm just gonna turn myself in? I'm General Black!" the man yelled angrily before slamming a meaty paw down on to a big, red button. "Send in Mach!"

Vegito merely sighed as a large, muscle-bound man wearing a fine suit sporting a prominent, black tie walked into the room, cracking his knuckles theatrically. When Goku was a kid, this guy might have been a little bit of a problem, but now, to Vegito, he was little more than a nuisance. A nuisance that was causing problems for an old friend of his.

"This man bothering you, boss?" Mach asked in a voice eerily similar to that of the late Recoome.

"Quite," General Black said with a nod. "Mach here is our best soldier, you don't stand a chance!"

"I explode bomb-proof glass with my mind," Vegito said with a sigh, dodging Mach's punches with contemptible ease. "I literally fly into your room. I knock out three of your thugs in the blink of an eye. Do you really think you have anyone that can hold a candle to me?"

"Stop squirming and come here!" Mach yelled.

With a sigh, Vegito stopped, allowing Mach to punch him square in the face. Apparently, he'd hit with a good deal of force, as Vegito heard several loud cracks, followed by Mach screaming in pain, clutching his hand. Officially tired of this, Vegito gave Mach a quick blow to the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Wait a minute!" General Black cried out as Vegito turned towards him. "Be reasonable! Join me! I can make it worth your while! What do you want? Money? Command? Women? Whatever it is you want, I'll get it, just don't hurt me!"

"I'm not even interested in hurting you," Vegito said, climbing up on to General Black's desk and sitting down, cross-legged. "You and your men, however, are hurting some very old friends of mine and withholding something I need to bring back my family. To put it simply, _you are in my way. _Here's what will happen," Vegito continued, poking a finger into the man's chin. "You and your men will pack up and leave Jingle Village, give me the Dragon Ball in your possession, and you will turn yourselves over to the authorities. If I find out you are hurting anyone else, and believe me, _I will know_, then I will come back. Next time, I will tie your army up myself and drag you all to Satan City and let the military deal with you. Is that understood?"

"P-p-perfectly!" General Black stammered out, reaching into his desk and handing Vegito the Two Star Dragon Ball and pressing a button on his intercom. "Men," he began hesitantly. "It has come to my attention that the Tower has been found to be structurally unsound. We must abandon it immediately! All hands, we move south within the hour!"

Vegito nodded and got up, flying outside the tower to watch as the soldiers, on the order of General Black, moved out in their humvees, abandoning Muscle Tower and heading south, just as Black had promised. Vegito made a mental note to follow their ki to make sure they got to East City before he turned back to the Tower and returned to General Black's office. Looking through his desk, Vegito found what he was looking for: a breakdown of the entire Black Tie Army. Aghast, Vegito tossed the flimsy on to the desk with a scoff. That overgrown toad barely had enough men to qualify as an army! According to the financial records he'd found, the Army was only able to survive financially by extorting the townsfolk of Jingle Village, taking much of what they earned as "protection." He, thankfully, found that all the Army's men had been in the Tower that was now abandoned. The last thing Vegito wanted to deal with was a repeat of the Red Ribbon Army...he'd had quite enough with his memories of the cyborgs and Cell.

Returning outside and checking with his senses to ensure that there were no stragglers, Vegito raised up a hand at Muscle Tower and, using nothing but his ki, atomized it. Better that they have nothing to return to should they try and come back to harass the village again.

"Wow," Vegito heard Suno say behind him. "You've gotten a lot stronger since you were a kid, huh?"

"I have, indeed," Vegito said kindly, turning around. "You won't have to worry about them causing your village any more trouble, Suno. The Black Tie Army is on its way to East City to turn itself in to the authorities. If they...fail in that mission, I'll make sure that they eventually find their way into the cells that are waiting on them."

"Thank you for rescuing us, Vegito," Suno said happily, wrapping her arms around the surprised warrior's waist. "If there's anything we can do, just let us know."

"You don't need to give my anything," Vegito said, palming the Two Star Ball. "If you ever need me, though, just call Capsule Corp. Tell them you're a friend of mine, they'll know where to find me."

"Capsule Corp?" Suno asked, astonished. "You're in with the Briefs family?"

"I'd certainly hope so," Vegito said with a small laugh. "Considering one of my wives is the daughter of Dr. Briefs."

"You're kidding," Suno replied with a gasp. "Wait..._one_ of your wives?"

"Well," Vegito said, knowing just where her mind was heading. "Remember, I'm the result of two men joining to form me! The merger's...permanent, and both of them had a wife. Since I'm basically them, I'm...well...husband to two women and father to two families."

"That," Suno said with a raised eyebrow and amused smirk. "Has to be _incredibly_ awkward."

"You have _no_ idea," Vegito said with a heavy sigh, his hand on the back of his head. "It doesn't help that this is all new to me, too."

"Well," Suno began with a laugh. "You're welcome in Jingle Village any time things get too crazy for you, Vegito. I don't want to keep you any longer."

"Thanks, Suno," Vegito said with a smile and a nod. "I'll see you around!"

Flying off as Suno waved him off, Vegito clicked the Dragon Radar and found the next Dragon Ball nestled in the mountains between East City and Satan City. Speeding off, Vegito thought about what he'd do once his friends and family were brought back. He had no idea how Goten, Trunks, Piccolo, and Sakura would react to seeing the man that basically killed them. Though the idea frightened him, Vegito pressed on with all due haste, not wanting to delay this any further due to his own anxiety. A timely resurrection was the least he could do for those whom he'd consigned to death.

**Author's Notes**

As promised, we're now past the Buu saga! Yeah, Vegito's got a bit of a guilt complex, but you gotta remember, he loves his friends and family as much as Goku and Vegeta did. Even though the Dragon Balls can bring them back, consigning those he loves to death doesn't sit well with him, whether it was necessary or not. Also, digging a little into Dragon Ball and giving an older character a bit of a showing, as well as giving Vegito a chance to be a badass. Vegito's on a quest, and he's trying to figure himself out in the process, hence him being more direct than Goku was, yet more lenient than Vegeta. His personality's still solidifying, so expect him to act a bit...different, especially with regard to canon Vegito. Also, yes, he's stronger than canon Vegito. Yes, that's due to this Vegeta being leagues above his canon counterpart.

Anywho, that's about it for this chapter, so I'll catch you guys next time for Chapter Twenty Two of _The Prince Ascendant_, Vegito's Atonement! Take care!


	22. Vegito's Atonement

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Two: Vegito's Atonement

"Hold it, right there!" Vegito heard behind him in a drawl so thick, he had difficulty understanding what he was hearing. "Don't you move, don't you move a inch!"

Looking behind him, his mind sagged. He was too tired for this shit. He hadn't slept in the past 48 hours, as he'd sworn off rest until his quest was complete. This was his last Dragon Ball, the One Star Ball, and here he was, eyes dark with fatigue with a farmer pointing a shotgun at him.

"You get off my property this instant, ya hear?" the farmer yelled, jamming the gun in Vegito's direction. "And don't you steal my radishes! I don't care how hungry you are, this here's private property!"

"This," Vegito began bluntly, holding up the gleaming Ball. "Is not a radish, it is a Dragon Ball. I need it to get my family back."

"I don't give a damn about your problems with your wife!" the farmer replied angrily. "And that dragon rock or whatever was on my property, so it belongs to me! Unless you're paying for it, hand it over!"

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand," the farmer said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Not a zeni less."

"Here," Vegito said, tossing the Dragon Ball to the farmer. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Using his Instant Transmission, Vegito appeared near Dr. Briefs, who was currently busy using a particularly loud riveter and didn't even turn, as he'd not even heard Vegito appear. Just as well, Vegito really wasn't in the mood for conversation, at the moment. He sensed that Bulma was out in the city, likely meeting with friends. Vegito moved as quickly as he could to Bulma's room, which Vegeta had shared with her. He knew that Vegeta had kept a small amount of cash in his drawer as an emergency fund and, searching through the clothes, he found the small, wooden box that Vegeta had hidden. The key long since destroyed, Vegito used his ki to pick the lock open and retrieved the money the farmer had demanded. Focusing his mind as best he could, Vegito found the farmer, who had apparently not moved since he'd left, and returned the same way he'd left.

"Are you a magician or something?" the farmer asked, frightened.

"A magician with money," Vegito answered simply, tossing the brick of cash to the farmer, who caught it with surprising alacrity. "Fifty thousand zeni, just like you said."

"Good doing business with ya," the farmer said after counting the money and tossing Vegito the One Star Ball.

"Likewise," Vegito said with a tired nod.

Vegito focused his mind once more and, using Instant Transmission, found himself inside the Son residence, a surprised-looking Chi Chi staring at him with a surprised look on her face, a dish in her hand.

"Vegito!" Chi Chi cried. "What a surprise! You just missed Videl...and breakfast."

"That's fine," Vegito said tiredly. "I just...I need some sleep, before I do anything. I have the rest of the Dragon Balls, but-"

"You haven't slept, yet?" Chi Chi asked with a mixture of astonishment and anger. "Vegito, its been two days!"

"I couldn't bring myself to stop," Vegito said, his head low and his eyes dark from intense fatigue. "I needed to-"

That was the last thing to come out of Vegito's mouth before he fell, face first, to the floor. Were it not for his reasons for being so exhausted being so...depressing, Chi Chi would've found the sight comical. As it was, Chi Chi put the dish away and hefted her husband up and carried him to the bedroom, placing him gingerly beneath the sheets. Kissing his forehead, Chi Chi left to think on what she'd seen. Vegito obviously felt extreme guilt, to push himself to the point of passing out. It was sad, seeing a man _that_ strong felled by his own misdirected guilt. Maybe bringing back the people they lost would help...hearing it from they themselves that they didn't blame him for their deaths would be a welcome balm for the warrior's ailing mind.

By the time Vegito realized he'd fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation, he smelled the unmistakable scent of lunch being made. He could hear Videl's voice in the dining room, talking away with Chi Chi about something he couldn't quite make out. Remembering what had transpired several hours ago, Vegito's face burned with embarrassment. Feeling himself, he panicked for a split second when he realized the Dragon Balls were gone before he remembered where he was and that it was likely that Chi Chi had put them somewhere safe so he could sleep more comfortably. That she was so willing to help him warmed Vegito's heart. For what he'd done, simply letting him sleep on the floor or even throwing him outside would've been appropriate. That was when he steeled himself: he had all seven Dragon Balls. It was time. Walking out to the dining room, Vegito looked with a small amount of shame at his wife who was putting numerous dishes out for lunch.

"You're awake," Chi Chi said warmly, placing the final plate at the head of the table. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Vegito said with a yawn. "Thank you for...for letting me sleep in your bed."

"_Our_ bed," Chi Chi corrected, grabbing Vegito's hand. "It'll be hard sharing you with Bulma, but you're still my husband, Vegito. You don't need to feel so guilty," she continued, looking into those eyes, ones that looked so much like Goku's it nearly hurt. "I forgive you. You did what...what you needed to do. Now, we have the Dragon Balls and everyone gets to come back."

With that, Chi Chi embraced her startled husband. His face burned until he felt another set of arms wrapping around him: Videl's.

"She's right, you know," Videl said comfortingly. "Don't beat yourself up. Its not...not what Gohan would've wanted. Or Sakura. Or any of them."

Despite his intense resistance, Vegito could no longer fight the tide of emotion welling up inside him. The lump in his throat burst, and the Fused Warrior cried for the first time since he was created. After all he'd done, everything he'd taken from them, they still forgave him. They still loved him. He knew all this before, but something about hearing it now, about how Chi Chi had treated him when he'd passed out mid-conversation, it shamed Vegito, despite how freeing it felt. He didn't deserve them. There was also the matter of Videl's words...she was right. Gohan wouldn't want him to hate himself. Sakura would've understood doing what needed to be done to protect the world. Were their places switched, he had little doubt she'd have done the same, eventually. Maybe he really was over-thinking things...maybe the blame didn't rest with him, ultimately. If Buu hadn't absorbed them, Vegito wouldn't have ended up inadvertently killing them. If Babidi hadn't pursued the monster and released him, this whole thing wouldn't have happened in the first place. As it were, the culprits of this heinous series of events were gone, sent to their rightful punishment. Now, Vegito was ready to do right by the people he loved.

"Its time," Vegito said with a tone of finality. "Chi Chi, I trust you know where the Dragon Balls are, could you get them?"

"I'll be just a minute, Vegito," Chi Chi replied, giving her husband another tight hug before walking toward their bedroom.

"Videl," Vegito began while Chi Chi was away. "I'm...sorry about Gohan. I know you love him. Know that he feels the same way, even if he's not always the best at showing it. He's been through a lot in his life. Just...be patient with him."

"Sometimes," Videl began sheepishly. "I wonder if my teasing gets under his skin, a little. He's so quiet, its hard to tell what he's thinking, at times."

"You're the only girl he's ever shown interest in," Vegito stated plainly, noting the girl's somewhat shocked expression. "He obviously thinks you're something special, or you wouldn't be as close with him as you are. I don't think he resents you in the slightest. You make him happy," he continued, looking kindly into the young woman's eyes. "And that, more than anything, is what matters the most."

"What was Gohan like as a kid?" Videl asked as Chi Chi walked back into the room carrying a small, laden sack.

"Why don't you ask him yourself when we bring him back?" Vegito said with a wink. "We ready?" he asked, to which the two ladies responded with a nod. "Alright, then! Put your hands on my shoulders and we'll be off to Capsule Corp!"

A quick spot of Instant Transmission later, and the trio were in the living room of Capsule Corp. Vegito had locked in specifically on Bulma, wanting to give her the good news next. It seems he didn't need to say a word: one look at the bulging sack and Bulma swung her arms around Vegito, tears streaming down her eyes, the only words he could make out were "Trunks" and "back home," but it was enough. Both his wives were happy, both of them loved him and that, more than anything, was what Vegito needed.

"Mommy?" Bra asked, walking into the room. "Why are you-? Oh!" she cried, rushing over to Vegito. "Daddy Vegito, you're back! Is it time to go get Trunks and Goten and Sakura and Mr. Piccolo and Gohan?"

"It is, little one," Vegito said, mussing his daughter's hair affectionately. "Let's...do this discreetly, though, at the Lookout. Last time we summoned an Eternal Dragon in the city, people _kind of_ freaked out."

"Yeah," Bulma said with a small laugh. "Dad had to do some really quick talking with the police when the Namekians went home."

A few moments later, the entire Briefs and Son families, as well as Videl, Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha were at the Lookout, staring in anticipation at the seven glowing orbs before them.

"Daddy?" Bra began, looking up expectantly at Vegito, tugging at the knee of his pants. "Can I summon the dragon?"

"Do you know the words?"

"Yessir!" Bra said, her face lighting up. "Mom told me all about it when you were getting the Dragon Balls!"

"Then, go ahead, little Princess, the stage is all yours," Vegito said with a theatrical bow and a wide smile.

"I summon you," Bra said, holding her hands over the Dragon Balls. "Awaken from your slumber! Arise, Shenron!"

The Dragon Balls exploded with light and the Eternal Dragon poured out, his massive face staring at the group in front of him, his expression impassive and neutral.

"I am the Eternal Dragon," Shenron said in a booming voice. "Name your two wishes now."

"Shenron," Vegito began, looking at the Dragon, his eyes squinted from the light. "I ask that you resurrect all those that have died since the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament."

"A simple matter," Shenron said, his eyes glowing. "What is your next wish?"

"Might as well see if its possible or not," Vegito said in a low voice before speaking up. "Can you undo the magic that created me?"

"I cannot," Shenron replied as the resurrected parties looked on. "The magic that created you is divine. Undoing it is beyond my capabilities. I have granted your wishes, farewell."

The Dragon Balls rose into the sky as Shenron disappeared and in a final flash of light, they were scattered across the globe once more, inert for the next year. Turning his mind to more pressing matters, Vegito turned to look at his friends and family who were enjoying a joyous reunion. Oddly, Chi Chi was talking privately with the boys, Sakura, and Piccolo. He didn't have to hear what they were saying to know what they were talking about. The Fused Warrior braced himself as the quartet walked over to him, their faces lined with concern.

"Chi Chi tells us that you blame yourself for our deaths," Sakura said first.

"How could I not?" Vegito asked sadly. "I killed you all."

"You idiot," Sakura said quietly. "Do you know what it took for me...how I became a Super Saiyan in the first place?"

Vegito shook his head, she'd never shared exactly where she went when she transformed, though Vegeta had guessed it was somewhere unpleasant. With the look on her face, Vegito surmised that the Prince's assessment was correct.

"I blamed myself," Sakura began, her head low. "For years, I blamed myself for my family's death, for my enslavement to Arctic and his men. I thought that, had I been stronger, I could've stopped it. My therapist," she continued, quietly admonishing herself. "Told me that it wasn't my fault. I was a little girl, then, how strong could I have been? Gohan and Mr. Vegeta were both ascended Super Saiyans, and even _they_ had difficulty with Arctic. It was only by releasing myself of a burden I'd been unfairly placing on myself that I could see just how evil and twisted they really were. Now, when I think about them, I'm not sad, I'm not pitying myself or hating myself, _I'm angry_. At them. They were the ones responsible, they were the ones who killed everyone I knew."

"You aren't to blame for our deaths," Piccolo said simply. "Buu was. Babidi was. You had nothing to do with it. Had Buu not absorbed us, had Babidi not released him in the first place, none of it would've happened. Even if, by some odd accident, you would've ended up being born, you wouldn't have been in that situation to begin with."

"Besides, dad," Trunks said, hugging his father. "We're back, and that's what matters most."

"We're all back," Sakura said, nodding happily. "And we have you to thank for it. If you hadn't have stopped Buu, the Earth would've likely been destroyed. You saved us all, Vegito. We owe you our lives."

_I don't deserve them_, Vegito thought as the tearful reunion continued. _But, they're right. I really have been stupid. Buu would've killed or eaten everyone, eventually, he had to be stopped. Besides,_ he continued silently in his head, looking at his families. _I'll get stronger. I'll get strong enough that it'll never happen again, strong enough to take on any threat. I'll protect them. All of them. _With steely resolve, Vegito walked toward his revived friends and family. Nothing would stop him. He was the product of the two greatest warriors that ever lived, and he would not do their legacy shame by being weak, by growing soft and complacent.

Far away, in a lush, verdant field stood a tall, slender man with pale blue skin and long, white hair, sticking straight up and ending in a small curl at the top. His lavender eyes shifted away from the crystal ball he'd been watching for the past few days, absorbing what he'd witnessed.

"A warrior," the man said in a quiet, slightly effeminate tone that bespoke great sophistication. "Strong enough to defeat Majin Buu, huh? He certainly saved me from having to deal with a rather annoying nuisance, still," he continued, eyeing Vegito through the crystal ball as the Fused Warrior spoke happily to his loved ones. "It would do to keep an eye on him for a while, yet. He did stumble into _that_ area. I must make sure he remains unaware of what lies there, that he never remembers..."

Giving a sideways glance at the large hourglass near him, the man noted that there were only four more years left before his lord awoke. He'd be hungry, and cranky. The man resolved to prepare his lord's favourites in advance to put him in as good a mood as possible, since he demanded to be awoken earlier than usual. He knew he could stop him before things got too far out of hand, but his lord was still the God of Destruction, and Whis didn't want to be accused of slacking off in his duties.

**Author's Notes**

A little shorter than usual, but next one will be bigger, I promise! Everyone's alive again and Vegito's guilt complex has gotten some good healing. Its not completely gone, but he's certainly faring better than he was during his search for the Dragon Balls. Groundwork has been laid, and things are in motion on many sides, but Vegito's got some breathing room, at least, to discover his identity and learn what he really wants to do with himself. For those wondering about the cave, let's just say that I'm saving it for the future. Won't spoil anything, though. Also, one last thing before I sign off: the next chapter of _The Bardock Effect_ is...I'd say a third to halfway done. Its just taking a while to hammer out exactly where things will end up going. People are stronger than they were, but at the same time, Gero isn't a complete idiot, either. Just trying to make it all fit together well, ya know?

Well, that's about it for this bit, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Three of _The Prince Ascendant_, Families and Obligations! Take care!


	23. Families and Obligations

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Three: Families and Obligations

"Congratulations, you two!" Vegito said as Gohan and Videl, clothed in long, black and orange robes, walked together with arms linked to the rather large crowd awaiting them. For some reason, Videl pinked up slightly. "Top of your class, no less!"

"I expected nothing less from my boy," Chi Chi said proudly, giving Gohan a hug.

"Guess all those late-night study sessions really paid off, huh?" Vegito asked Gohan, giving him a friendly rap on the back.

"Yeah, I guess they did," Gohan said, his eyes slightly wide and alarmed.

If Gohan didn't know any better, he'd say Vegito gave him a knowing wink. For the sake of subtlety, Gohan didn't react beyond looking a little bit _more_ alarmed. _He knows?_ Gohan thought, his mind running a million kilometers an hour. _But, we kept it quiet! Even went out to the woods...unless...god damn it! He could sense our ki! Of course he knew!_ Thinking quickly, Gohan pulled Vegito somewhere away from the main crowd, trying his best to be discreet.

"I guess this _isn't_ about training schedules," Vegito said with an amused smile at Gohan's pained look.

"How long have you known?" Gohan asked plaintively.

"Gohan," Vegito began, quirking his eyebrow up at his son. "I'm a man, too, you know. You honestly don't think I know what goes on when two people who love eachother are alone, or sneaking off into the woods? Besides, I could sense your ki, it wasn't that hard to figure out, son."

"Please, don't tell mom," Gohan begged.

"Tell your mother?" Vegito asked with an incredulous laugh. "I like Videl far too much to see Chi Chi wringing her neck for 'perverting her little boy.' Besides, its none of my business what you two do when you're alone. Hell," he continued, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. So, Gohan, keep on doing who you're doing, and trust that I'll keep it to myself. Chi Chi will only find out if she either stumbles on the two of you 'studying' herself or puts the pieces together."

"Thanks, dad," Gohan said with a deep sigh of immense relief. "I owe ya."

"Hey," Vegito said, his amused grin returning. "Its only a father's duty to interfere in his children's relationships when dealing with his _daughter's_ boyfriends. Bra's still too young for anything like that, thankfully."

"Don't be sexist, dad," Gohan responded, giving Vegito a suspicious look.

"I'm not," Vegito said, faking a wounded tone. "But, what kind of father would I be if I didn't mess with my children at least a _little_? Your mother's far too straight-laced to do any _real_ parental trolling."

"Trolling?" Gohan asked incredulously. "Since when did you start picking up _my_ generation's slang?"

"About the same time you and Videl started your human anatomy lessons," Vegito said with a picture-perfect Cheshire grin. "Besides, where else am I going to find so many amusing cat images?"

"This is getting far too surreal for me," Gohan said under his breath. "Anyway, thanks for being...discreet, dad."

"Any time, son," Vegito said with a genuine smile, patting his son on the shoulder. "And, I really am proud of you. You chose well when you picked her."

It'd been an eventful few months for Vegito. Discovering...certain things about his eldest son was a bit strange, to say the least, but he couldn't betray his trust by ratting him out to his mother. Goten, Trunks, and Bra were proving to be a real handful to deal with, even as their demands became less childish and more reasonable. In fact, Trunks was proving to be an intellectual force to be reckoned with, often pointing out inconsistencies in what Vegito and his mother were doing with regard to things like bed times and punishments, a trait the boy no doubt inherited from his mother. Bra, on the other hand, was becoming a little bit of a tomboy, often forsaking more traditional "little girl" clothes for simple jeans and T-shirts, as well as putting a lot of effort into her training with her family and occasionally butting heads with her older brother when he teased her for being a girl. Goten was just...growing. And growing. And _growing_. In the months leading up to Gohan's graduation, the boy had grown a full fifteen centimeters, nearly twice what Trunks had gained in the same time, much to the older boy's chagrin. Vegito was well and truly afraid of how much Goten would grow when he hit puberty and his first growth spurt, the boy seemed to be setting up to be a mountain of a man! Sakura had become more social after the battle with Buu, less withdrawn. While she didn't have a _lot_ of friends outside the Z fighters, those she had she was fiercely loyal to, and made no secret of her martial arts training.

In fact, it was one of those friendships that caused Vegito to really raise his eyebrow: Sakura had, somehow, befriended Mr. Satan. According to the young woman, she'd been visiting Videl and they ended up in a sparring match when Mr. Satan walked into the dojo, utterly gobsmacked at what the two young women were capable of doing...

"What are you two doing?" Mr. Satan asked, alarmed.

"We're sparring, dad!" Videl answered, huffing from exertion.

"Sparring with my little girl, huh?" Mr. Satan said, tightening his belt. "Alright, then, little lady, let's see what you've got!"

"Okay," Sakura responded confidently. A moment later, she had Mr. Satan in a submission hold on the floor.

"Okay, okay, I give, I give!" Mr. Satan cried, tapping out. "Heheh, you're not bad, little lady! Say, what's your name?"

"Sakura, sir," she replied, helping Mr. Satan up after giving him a short bow.

"Well, Sakura," Mr. Satan said with a smile. "I'm glad to see that there's other young ladies out there that take martial arts seriously! Hey!" he said, an idea coming to him. "I'm actually looking for a disciple! Whaddya say, Sakura?"

Sakura knew the man was mostly hot air, but his hopeful look triggered something inside her, she just couldn't turn him down. "Sure," she said with a nod and a smile. "Though, someone of your caliber might be better-suited for the training area in the Briefs compound."

"Did...did you say _Briefs?!_" Mr. Satan asked, amazed. "You're in with _them_? That's amazing!"

"They practically adopted me," Sakura confirmed. "I doubt they'd mind letting us use their training area, the one that Bulma built, its really amazing."

"It'd be an honour," Mr. Satan said theatrically.

"How about tomorrow?" Sakura asked. "I don't have anything lined up, that day. Just let them know you're with me and I doubt there will be any problems."

Mr. Satan just nodded, his face betraying just how unbelievable his luck had turned out to be, to be invited to the _Briefs_ compound by their adopted daughter! Vegito had heard all this, and even seen the showboating blowhard training with Sakura, apparently serious about the whole deal. What was even more amazing, Mr. Satan wasn't claiming his defeats, which were many, to Sakura were due to her cheating or using weird tricks. Indeed, it seemed to Vegito like he actually respected the young woman a great deal, and going by how the Champ's reaction times were slowly improving, the Fused Warrior had little doubt that Sakura had taught him about ki. That was reinforced when he saw Mr. Satan floating in the air, practicing his control. That he'd taken tips from a woman young enough to be his daughter was, quite frankly, astonishing. Clearly, Sakura had an effect on him that none could deny. Mr. Satan was still as amazed as his daughter when he saw Vegito and Sakura go all-out during training, but it didn't discourage the man. Indeed, it added a note of humility to his blustering, something Vegito found most refreshing.

Sitting in the living room of the Son residence, about a month later, Vegito sensed a lot of apprehension coming from Gohan, and the young man was fidgeting with something in his pocket. Giving Gohan a significant look, Vegito nodded and got up, giving Gohan the space he needed with the only other person in room: Videl. Gohan had gotten it from his mother a week ago, but actually going through with what he had planned...it was difficult, easily the hardest thing he'd ever done. However, the reassuring, confident look his father had given him gave Gohan just the right amount of courage he needed. Getting up, he walked over to Videl and got on one knee. The young woman looked startled and alarmed, but Gohan placed a finger on her lips, forestalling any words she had, needing to first say his piece.

"Videl," Gohan began hesitantly before finding his voice. "I've never met anyone like you before. You make me...happy. You challenge me, you help bring me out of my shell. I love you, more than I love anything else, and I can't imagine my life without you. Videl," he continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, velvet-covered box and opening it before a speechless Videl. "Would you do me the honour of being my wife?"

"Gohan," Videl began, tearing up before embracing her love for all she was worth. "Yes! Yes! I do!"

Fitting the ring on Videl's finger, Gohan heard footfalls come into the room and, looking he saw Chi Chi standing in the doorway, speechless, with Vegito behind her, giving his son a wink, smile, and a thumbs-up. Chi Chi rushed over to her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law, tears streaming down her eyes as she blubbered about "so proud of you" and "my daughter Videl." Vegito opted to merely walk in and lay his hand on his son's shoulder, communicating his pride and happiness without need of words. He remembered Vegeta practically hearing wedding bells for these two when Gohan first introduced Videl to him, and it felt good to see that the Prince was correct in his assessment. Gohan was quite obviously happy beyond words. The world was at peace again, and here his boy was, taking the next big step in his life, becoming a husband himself.

The big announcement came a week after Bra's 7th birthday, and was met with a good deal of enthusiasm. Vegito could tell that Sakura was a little jealous of Gohan and Videl; after all, she was only half a year younger than Gohan and, here he was, engaged to be married. Still, she was happy for them, they deserved it. Their wedding was set to be next year, in the autumn, giving them plenty of time to plan, as well as settle into the new home they were looking into getting with the dowry Mr. Satan had given them. For his part, the Champ was very happy for his little girl, but he didn't let Gohan go without one last stern warning against hurting his daughter. Gohan had no intentions of hurting his fiancee...not unless...well, that was a different matter that wasn't really brought up in polite conversation, especially with one's mother present. Still, he loved Videl, and he could tell that his life with her was going to be a happy one, and that she'd definitely keep him on his toes, something he appreciated.

Watching a boy he'd grown to see as a surrogate son turn into a man and get married was a very interesting experience for Piccolo. He could tell that Gohan was happier than he'd ever been, and that was what was most important. Videl was practically glowing around her soon-to-be husband, and Piccolo picked up on the fact that the feeling was indeed mutual between them. Given his personality and apparent handsomeness amongst humans, Piccolo had little doubt that Gohan could've had almost any woman he wanted. He could've easily chosen a vacuous, useless airhead of a woman whose only goal in life was to be what amounted to living upholstery and he could've gotten just that, easily. Instead, he chose a woman that challenged him, that drew out the good qualities in him, even if dealing with her vivaciousness and particularly forward manner was, at least from what Piccolo had observed, a little overboard, sometimes. In the end, Gohan was happy and, in Piccolo's books, that made all the effort worth it.

"So," Bulma began, laying her arms around Vegito's waist as he made himself a sandwich during his off-time from training. "What do you think the two little lovebirds are up to, right now?"

"Probably arguing over the colour of their drapes," Vegito said with a laugh. "Videl strikes me as the style-conscious type."

"You're probably right," Bulma replied with a laugh. "Still, reminds me of how Vegeta was after the Cell games. So...happy. You think Gohan will make a good father?"

"Of that," Vegito said confidently. "I have little doubt. I just hope Chi Chi doesn't put too much pressure on them...if she had her way, she'd already have at least half a dozen grandchildren."

"Poor Videl," Bulma replied with a slight cringe. "Though, that reminds me, I have a...surprise for you, when you're done with your break."

Vegito didn't need to ask what kind of "surprise" she was hinting at, with that slight growl in her voice. Bulma had always been a forward woman, more than willing to speak her mind and tell you exactly what she wanted, but she also wasn't above being coy when she deigned be so. Alternating between two families had been strange, but there were unexpected dividends in many areas. More training partners, more food, more wives with whom he could spend time. While going back and forth was a bit tiring, Vegito never really felt put upon by either family. Indeed, both his wives seemed to get along quite well, once the initial strangeness wore off. Goten was excited that Trunks and Bra were basically his brother and sister now and, when they weren't training, they spent a lot of time together just playing and having fun as kids their age are wont to do, even if Trunks spent plenty of time teasing his sister. It was during his ruminations that a thought struck Vegito like a lightning bolt, the Old Kai was going to be angry. He was late. Using Instant Transmission, he appeared before the aged god a picture of apology for his tardiness.

"You're late," the Elder Kai admonished. "Though, I guess I can't blame you, I saw some of what happened down there, there's been a goodly bit of activity in your families. Now," Elder Kai continued, sitting down with a slight groan. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

"No reason not to," Vegito agreed, sitting cross-legged in front of the Elder Kai.

"Well," Elder Kai began, waving his hands around Vegito. "Everything seems normal, though...hm...most odd..."

"That can't be good," Vegito said before the Old God cut him off.

"Its not bad," Elder Kai began, narrowing his eyes at Vegito's stomach. "However, try powering up, just a bit. I want to test something."

"Okay," Vegito agreed with a hint of suspicion. He powered up a bit, kicking up a fair amount of dust and loose grass, just as the Elder Kai had ordered.

"Very interesting," Elder Kai said, giving Vegito a measuring look. "I thought that was something unique to Miss Sakura, but it seems you have it, too. Before you jump up to throttle me," he said in a more friendly tone. "There's a second ki source in your body. I didn't notice it until now because you have so much from your normal source that it was nearly impossible to spot. However, it didn't budge an inch when you powered up, most strange..."

"A second ki source?" Vegito asked, now more curious than worried. "What are you talking about?"

"Imagine your ki as a ball of gold and white threads," Elder Kai explained. "You pull on these threads, manipulate them to utilize your powers. However, deep inside that gold-and-white ball of ki is a ball of red ki that doesn't shift when you use your normal power."

"A hidden power that I can't even feel?" Vegito said, startled and amazed at the same time. "That's pretty cool!"

"Vegito," Elder Kai said, standing up. "I'm going to try something...how much of my power are you feeling, currently? How strong am I?"

"You don't _feel_ very strong," Vegito admitted. "Where are you going with this?"

Elder Kai closed his eyes and exhaled, saying, "How about now?"

"No change," Vegito said after measuring Old Kai's ki for a moment. "What are you doing?"

"You can't feel divine ki," Elder Kai stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's normal for mortals. Yet, that red ki inside you and Miss Sakura has all the hallmarks of divinity...I wonder how that happened."

"It couldn't be the Potara earrings, if Sakura has it," Vegito thought aloud. "Could it have been implanted into us without our knowledge?"

"Not without killing a god and stealing their power," Elder Kai said, shaking his head. "You were born with it, yet you can't use it. Maybe its a Saiyan trait? You and Miss Sakura are both pure-blooded Saiyans, are you not?"

"The last alive, I think," Vegito replied. "Though, I don't know if there are any Exile colonies out there that survived Frieza's purge. Elder Kai," Vegito continued, an idea hitting him. "Could you unlock this divine ki?"

"I'm afraid even my magic has its limits, Vegito," Elder Kai said, shaking his head. "Drawing it out might end up killing you."

"Damn," Vegito spat angrily. "Well, no matter, I don't think I'll be fighting any deities any time soon! You guys all seem to be good people."

"Don't be so sure of that, Vegito," Elder Kai said directly. "Not all gods are benevolent. Should he awaken in your lifetime, you must be especially wary of one powerful, destructive god in particular, if you cross paths."

"I think I know who you're talking about," Vegito began, searching Vegeta's memories. "Beerus, the Destroyer."

"I won't ask how you know his name, but yes," Elder Kai replied. "He is very temperamental and will destroy your planet if you anger him."

"I remember," Vegito said, closing his eyes and seeing the images before him. "My father, King Vegeta, turned into a servant by a cat-like god who'd threatened to destroy Planet Vegeta unless he was given a feast of sufficient quality. Not even Frieza elicited that level of fear from the King."

"And well he, and you, should fear him," Elder Kai said seriously. "Do not provoke him! If you ever cross paths, promise me that you won't provoke Beerus!"

"I won't," Vegito promised, bowing before the old god. "You have my word. I have no intention of seeing my world destroyed."

"Good," Elder Kai replied. "I suppose our business is concluded then, Vegito. You've got a clean bill of health from me, so you're good to go!"

"Alright, then," Vegito said with another bow. "Thanks again for all this, Elder Kai! I'll see you in three months!"

As quickly as he'd arrived, Vegito vanished. Elder Kai sat down and opened his manga, only peripherally aware of the words and images on the pages. To possess the power of a god, yet not be able to touch it, to not even be able to feel it...Elder Kai hadn't heard of such a thing. Not for a very, very long time, when this universe had many, many more gods, at any rate. Was it possible that these Saiyans were descendants of gods who'd mated with mortals? That would explain their insane battle potential, especially if they were descended from gods of combat or war. The more Elder Kai thought about it, the more it explained their peculiar proclivity for challenge and conflict, as well as their ability to receive a massive increase in ki whenever they're brought from the brink of death. Saiyans were Godtouched. Maybe even the last of them. It was times like this that the Old God regretted the destruction of the Great Library of the Kais, as well as the death of the Supreme Kai of Knowledge. Their books would be invaluable in unraveling the mystery that had presented itself before him. Hopefully, Vegito and his Saiyan friends wouldn't need that power...yes, there was always hope that, when Beerus awoke, he'd find another planet to "visit," and leave Earth and its inhabitants alone. He did _not_ want a conflict between the God of Destruction and Vegito. A chill wind blew, and the Elder Kai felt ill at ease. Something was afoot...

**Author's Notes**

A little time skip (~6 months) and plot development! Smells like an update to me! This one came pretty easy compared to updates for other things. I loved giving Vegito some time on the 'net, which I'm sure the Dragon Ball world has got since they have freaking flying cars and capsules that can contain an arbitrary amount of material inside something roughly the same size as a cigarette lighter. That, and if I can think of any one word to describe Vegito, it'd be "troll."

To answer **guest (31 Oct 2015)**, that's not something I've come to, quite yet, but it seems likely. If it does happen, don't expect it to happen easily. The more time goes by, the more time Vegito gets to solidify his personality and both understand and, most importantly, _like_ himself.

I hope you guys like the groundwork I laid for certain...events in the future. I've got something post-Beerus, but pre-"that thing I've been planning for a while" that I think you guys will like a lot. Let's just say that the God of Destruction isn't the only real challenge Vegito is going to face in his lifetime. And, with that bit of foreshadowing out of the way, I'll sign off on this chapter! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Four of _The Prince Ascendant_, Sakura's New Friend! Take care!


	24. Sakura's New Friend

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Four: Sakura's New Friend

His wild, jet black hair lay in uneven clumps around his head, going down to the small of his back. His eyes were a piercing emerald green and he was head and shoulders taller than she was. He wore jeans with legs wide enough to fit a tree trunk and his plain, gray shirt was partly covered by a long, sleeveless, blue vest whose tails trailed just above his ankles. His black, leather collar was matched perfectly by his black, leather boots. It was this strange ensemble, his stark contrast with the crowd of vibrant polo shirts and khaki pants that drew her to him.

Sakura was curious. By his expression, she could tell this guy didn't care about conforming to the style of the day. She'd met someone similar before, though she was a girl, but she'd turned out to be one of her best friends, one of the most universally interesting people whom she'd encountered. Even his name, Ein Viginti, was singularly unique. She first saw him in a bookstore near the Briefs compound, after a training session with Vegito.

"Excuse me," the strange-looking young man began in a slightly nervous tone, looking at the book she was carrying. "Is there another copy of that?"

"This? Erm," Sakura answered, looking at the shelves before spotting the book in question and handing it to the young man. "Here you go!"

"Thanks!" he said happily. "So, have you read the other books in the series, yet?"

"Only the first one," Sakura replied. "I'm really starting to like Tyrion, though."

"Let me guess," the young man said, a smile starting to grow on his face. "You also hate Cersei?"

"Who doesn't hate Cersei?"

"Point taken," the young man replied with a laugh. "My name's Ein, by the way. Ein Viginti. What's yours?"

"Sakura," she replied, shaking Ein's hand.

Thus began an easy friendship, the easiest one Sakura had yet to achieve. There were times when Ein seemed to be off in his own world, when he wasn't lost in some book or chatting away, it was as if the world around him disappeared for a moment. Sakura didn't mind this, indeed, it merely made him more interesting. Introducing him to her friends and family, every single one of them, even Vegito, commented on his strange appearance, but it never once seemed to bother him. Ein did get an oddly appraising look when he first met Vegito, as if he were curious about the Fused Warrior. Then again, Vegito also never took off his Potara earrings, and few men she knew went out wearing jewelry like that.

For his part, Vegito was surprised by Sakura's new friend. It wasn't just his clothing, no, that was secondary. It was how the young man carried himself. Every other one of Sakura's friends he'd met had been at least a little intimidated by him, but not this Ein character. Indeed, he was amongst the calmest, most confident young men he'd ever met, minus the occasional time he stumbled over his own words, something everyone does once in a while. Sakura liked his company, though, and overhearing their casual conversations satisfied Vegito's curiosity for the most part. Vegito was satisfied by this, but he opted to keep an eye on Ein, just in case. After all, Sakura was as good as his daughter, and if this Ein guy tried anything, Vegito silently vowed that he'd break him in half. Assuming Sakura didn't beat him to the punch.

All in all, the year between Gohan's proposal to Videl and the wedding was blissfully uneventful. Vegito had a difficult time with finding an…adequate training partner. Sakura was the closest he could get to a real workout, followed closely behind Gotenks when he amped it up to Super Saiyan 3. Deep inside, Vegito longed for someone, something to challenge him. His Saiyan nature craved a good battle, and his muscles were building an aching tension at a tiny trickle. No matter how far he pushed the gravity in the training room, it was never enough. Even when he collapsed on the floor with more ribs broken than unharmed, he felt unsatisfied. A great hunger was growing in his body and soul that was increasing faster than the power of his students. Not even Gohan had given up, though he'd understandably slowed down a little due to his wedding. His eldest son hadn't yet achieved Super Saiyan 3, but that wasn't for lack of trying. Sakura's power had increased dramatically, as did her control. Still, for all their evolution, it wasn't enough. There were times when Vegito wanted to spend a year wandering the universe in search for powerful opponents, but he had obligations, and he refused to abandon his family and friends.

As it was, Vegito was still happy when the big day came. Gohan had taken the obvious choice, and made Goten his best man, even if the boy was only just over eight years-old. Videl, who was an only child, ended up choosing Sakura as her maid of honour, as the young Saiyan woman was easily her best friend. Vegito couldn't help but tear up as he watched Gohan and Videl take their vows and exchange rings. The Goku in him was happy beyond words that his son had found someone with whom he wanted to spend his life, and the part of him that was Vegeta was glad that the young man he'd come to view as a second son was finally getting the kind of life he deserved. The reception was an ordeal that exceeded every one of his expectations. Bulma had contributed a great deal to, in her words, "give Videl a reception she'll never forget." Judging by the massive array of food, some of it exceedingly rare and expensive, Vegito could tell she pulled out every stop outside gathering the Dragon Balls and presenting them as a wedding present. As it was, she insisted on footing the bill for a lavish, month-long honeymoon in a resort on Papaya Island.

It was during a training session, after the honeymoon, six months after their wedding, when Gohan had made a breakthrough. Vegito had been pushing the young man hard, his tension still growing at the lack of challenge he'd been given in his life after Buu. Though Gohan groused, he could tell that this meant a lot to his father, and so he dug deep, pushing himself beyond every limit he'd had previously. Until, one day, the dam broke…

"The need, Gohan!" Vegito cried out. "Feel it in your heart, pull it from the bottom of your very being! Rip away anything that holds you back! Crush your barriers! Free your power!"

Gohan's body was screaming in protest. The ki that was flooding him was like nothing he'd ever felt before, it was as if his skin was on fire, every nerve drowning in a sea of agony, every synapse full to bursting. Then, all at once, the pain was gone. In its place was complete focus, and an ungodly amount of ki pouring from him. He didn't need a mirror to know that he'd accomplished what both his father and Vegeta had done. The ascended Super Saiyan form was no longer his highest transformation. He'd done it. Gohan grinned with accomplishment, he had entered the hallowed ranks…Gohan was a Super Saiyan 3. The next thing he knew, his wife, Son Videl, was looking over him, holding a cool, damp cloth to his head as he lay on a couch.

"Videl," he said weakly, grabbing her hand. "I did it. I finally did it."

"So I heard, dear," Videl replied with a small smile. "I'm proud of you, that couldn't have been easy. Just…take it easy on yourself, okay?"

"I will, love," Gohan responded. "I promise."

"I really wish Vegito would teach me that Instant Transmission thing," Videl said under her breath. "I don't mind him picking me up, but it'd be great to be able to do it myself."

"You know," Gohan said, his wind coming back. "I always wondered why he didn't teach us after everything that happened with Buu. I mean, it's a really useful skill."

"Honestly," Gohan heard coming from the doorway. "It just hadn't crossed my mind, but you're right. If nothing else, you can use it to get yourselves out of danger."

"Thinking about holding a seminar on it?" Gohan asked with a laugh.

"That's not a bad idea," Vegito said honestly. "No reason to keep it to myself, not when it could help save you guys' lives, one day. I'll see what everyone else is up to, then try and work out a schedule for it."

It took the better part of three days for Vegito to work around all the scheduling conflicts in those Z fighters who'd shown interest…which was all of them, even Yamcha and Krillin. Thankfully, when she'd taught him how to use a computer, Bulma had taught Vegito to make spreadsheets. Even if this was the only time he ever used that knowledge, the Fused Warrior considered it time well-spent. Three weeks after Gohan had become a Super Saiyan 3, everyone met in the training room for Vegito's Instant Transmission Seminar. Gohan, Videl, Sakura, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Trunks, Goten, Bra, and Piccolo had all shown up. Looking at the crowd, Vegito swallowed the lump in his throat and began talking.

"Instant Transmission," Vegito began, pacing back and forth to soothe his nerves. "In its most basic form, involves transporting yourself and anyone making physical contact with you to a dimension outside space and time and relocating somewhere else all by following a specific ki signature. The better you are at seeking out ki, the better you're going to be when it comes to accuracy in your jumps. To do this, you have to lock your focus on to one ki source and use your own ki to open a rift for you to enter and come out the other side. The more people you take with you, the bigger the rift, and thus, the more energy you need to use in your jump."

"How do we even begin opening this rift?" Yamcha asked.

"Imagine a tear forming around you," Vegito replied, continuing his pacing uninterrupted. "A tear whose dimensions you can't make out, but you can sense is there. Imagine a second tear at your destination and push ki into it to open the tear up."

"So," Sakura said, narrowing her eyes. "We push our ki into a specific point, create a tear in space-time, and follow it to our destination?"

"That's the long and short of it, yeah," Vegito said with a nod, finally stopping to face the group. "Think you all understand how to do this well enough to try it out? Don't feel bad if you don't manage it right away, even Goku had a hard time, at first."

"What's our target?" Videl asked, ready for action.

"Me," Vegito answered, transforming into a Super Saiyan. "Don't take it personally, but it works best when you have a nice, big target to follow, at first. I'll be at Kame House and I'll give you all thirty minutes to get there before I come back."

"Sounds good, dad," Gohan said, nodding. "See you there!"

Vegito smiled at his son's confidence before locking on to Master Roshi's ki signature and teleporting away. Thankfully, Vegito had warned the old Turtle Hermit before he setup this little exercise, so he wouldn't be spooked by a bunch of people teleporting on to his island. As it was, the old man merely looked at Vegito and smiled, giving him a nod and waving as he walked outside and sat down, waiting for any arrivals.

The first to arrive, five minutes later, didn't surprise Vegito in the slightest: Piccolo. The Namekian looked surprised that he'd managed it, but Vegito knew it was likely that he'd be the first to do it properly. Piccolo had always had a knack for visualization techniques, something Instant Transmission required in spades to succeed.

"Good going, Piccolo," Vegito said, getting up and shaking the Namekian's hand with a broad smile.

"I can't believe it was that easy," Piccolo said, looking down. "I don't know how I didn't figure it out, myself..."

"You got it now," Vegito said, giving his old friend a pat on the back. "And that's what matters most! Let's see who shows up next!"

Less than thirty seconds later, Sakura was the next to arrive with a happy, yet confident look on her face. While Vegito _was_ a little surprised that she'd gone and gotten the silver medal, he also figured that whatever training Elder Kai imparted to her gave the young woman a very deep understanding of how ki worked, probably better than Vegito himself. It didn't hurt that she just plain thought differently from most of the warriors Vegito knew, minus Piccolo, likely due to Vegeta's influence. As he ruminated, Vegito received a shock at the next arrival: Videl.

"Whoa, I did it!" Videl cheered happily. "I can't believe it!"

"And the bronze goes to my daughter-in-law," Vegito said, giving Videl a smile and a thumbs-up. "You even beat Gohan, I'm impressed!"

"Me, too!" she replied. "I thought he'd beat me to it, since he's a lot stronger than I am."

"Instant Transmission isn't really about power, unless you're going really long distances or transporting a _lot_ of people," Vegito began. "Its more about visualization and ki control. As good as Gohan is, his ability to visualize has been one of his, admittedly rather small, weaknesses for a long time."

"I've finally got a leg up on him," Videl said with a triumphant laugh.

"You're never going to let him live this down, are you?" Vegito asked, laughing at the image in his mind of Videl teasing his son for learning Instant Transmission _after_ her.

"Not in a million years," Videl replied with a wink and a grin.

Over the next few minutes, the rest of their group began to appear. Krillin and Gohan managed to come next, and at almost the exact same time. Gohan's reaction to coming in second to his wife was about what one would expect when their wife was as prone to teasing their husband as the daughter of Mr. Satan. Tien appeared at the ten minute mark and, not fifteen seconds later, Bra popped on to the beach, exuberant that she'd managed to beat her brother to the punch in learning one of her father's techniques. As Vegito was cooing over his little girl, Trunks appeared, looking sullen and a bit put out, but still accomplished. When Goten appeared at the seventeen minute mark, he'd accidentally set his destination a big high, and ended up falling face-first into Krillin, much to the short warrior's chagrin. Yamcha was the last to appear, twenty-two minutes after the start of the exercise, looking a little bit let down, but a quick, confident look from Vegito bolstered his ally and his old friend's face took on a look of steely determination.

"Well done, everyone!" Vegito said, clapping his hands. "I'm really impressed, you guys did really well! We're gonna do it once more, only this time, I'll be on the Lookout, a lot father away, and not transformed. Now that you have it down, its mostly a matter of practice and finding your target."

"That took a lot less energy than I thought," Krillin remarked as Vegito reverted back to normal.

"When its just you, and you're not going very far," Vegito began, locking on to Dende's ki signature. "Its like I told Videl, its mostly about control and seeing things properly in your head. You'd probably have issues getting to, say, New Namek or Supreme Kai's world, but you should be able to get almost anywhere on Earth without much hassle. Right!" he continued, slapping his fist into his palm. "Let's get this party started!"

With that, Vegito disappeared again and appeared at the Lookout as Dende and Mr. Popo tended to the gardens.

"Oh, Vegito!" Dende said, looking at their new arrival. "What brings you here?"

"That's right," Vegito said quietly, smacking himself on the head. "I forgot, I'm teaching some of the guys Instant Transmission today. You don't mind if we use the Lookout, do you?"

"Not at all!" Dende said approvingly.

"Thanks a lot, Dende," Vegito said, shaking the Guardian's hand.

Two minutes later, the entire group was at the Lookout, all looking extremely accomplished.

"You've all done far better than I expected!" Vegito said proudly. "Now, like I said, its mostly a matter of repetition. Try getting home with this, just keep practicing, and you'll have it down pat! Just don't forget, you can only use Instant Transmission if you can concentrate on your target. If you're too distracted, it won't work."

"So," Krillin began, running his fingers through his hair. "Probably not going to be able to use it if 18 gets mad at me."

"Probably not," Vegito replied with a laugh.

A few minutes later, Sakura teleported away, back to Capsule Corp. Looking at her watch, she saw that she still had about an hour before it was time for her to go meet up with Ein and a few others. Apparently, Taro got a new party game and wanted everyone to come down and play it with him. The bespectacled young man was a bit of a geek, but he was nice enough, so she happily obliged. Besides, it felt good being around people more her age, even if they didn't share all the same interests she had, like training. She could tell Vegito was chomping at the bit for someone to push his limits during training and while Sakura was certainly pushing herself very hard, it was difficult to even come close to his insane level of power. Maybe Gohan reaching Super Saiyan 3 would give Vegito the challenge he sought, maybe when Goten and Trunks fuse, they'd train enough to give their father a run for his money. Either which way, Sakura knew that Vegito was frustrated with the current state of things.

Far away, on another world, Whis sat at the end of a large, stone table, resting after his preparations for his lord's awakening. These past two years seemed to go by at an extremely quick pace, even for one as old as he was. He'd kept an eye on Vegito and his compatriots when he was able, and Whis found it odd that the Fused Warrior wasn't relaxing in the slightest. Quite the opposite, Whis could see the tension building inside him, like a spring winding to its breaking point. Thinking about why Lord Beerus had chosen to awake so early, Whis looked again at Vegito through his staff...

"I wonder if it really is possible?" Whis asked himself quietly, watching Vegito train. "A Super Saiyan God...indeed, if anyone could claim that title, it would be you, Vegito."

While he felt a twinge of guilt for what would occur in two years' time, leading Lord Beerus to Earth to discover the secret his lord sought, perhaps this Vegito could give Lord Beerus the run for his money for which he longed. Indeed, as much tension as these two were likely to build up between now and then, it would at least be a _very_ spectacular show. Whis allowed a faint smile to creep on to his lips. Even against Majin Buu, Vegito hadn't shown even an ounce of his real power. This Super Saiyan 3 he'd seen Vegito's son achieve, now _that_ was the kind of power that might give the gods themselves pause. Thinking about it that way, Whis was almost tempted to use his power to fast-forward time until Lord Beerus woke up, but he knew that'd be an abuse, and he knew that there was always at least one person watching his actions. Whis knew he had a role to play in the grand scheme of things, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun, too. Besides, that'd be cheating. Whis would only cheat if delicious food was involved. So, for now, Whis resolved to watch and mark Vegito's progress.

**Author's Notes**

Damn, this is coming a _lot_ easier than it did earlier. Probably because I'm having fun writing all this. Also, _yes_, the Vegito vs. Beerus hype train is fucking _real_. I don't mind revealing that, because its going to be a _hell_ of a lot of fun to write. Especially with Whis. I really like Whis. Whis is cool. For now, let's answer a pair of questions, eh?

**Dorkwong:** I haven't seen but a few screenshots of Super, so I have pretty much NO idea what happens, there. I probably won't watch it til it gets dubbed because I find watching Dragon Ball in Japanese to be...rather awkward. That said, I have my reasons for not allowing Shenron to immediately be able to undo Vegito's fusion. This mostly has to do with the fact that, for all their power, Kami and Dende are both still only mortals. It seems incongruous, to me, that a mortal can make something that can undo the work of gods. Since the Potara earrings are something only kais (read: gods) have on them, its safe to assume that whatever magic they use is also divine in nature and, thus, can only be undone by gods. It'd be kind of cheap, otherwise, to just be able to outright say "no" to a god when a mortal doesn't like what they've done.

**Fangurlsrule:** The probability of Vegito defusing is...relatively high, because this is _still_ a Vegeta fic. However, Vegito's not gonna like it. In fact, the decision will likely tear him apart. Think about it from his perspective: when he defuses back into Goku and Vegeta, he ceases to exist. Effectively, he's killing himself. The only times that happens in Z are due to desperation. Since it'd likely be peacetime, Vegito's gonna have a _lot_ harder time letting go.

Whelp, that's about it for this installment! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Five of _The Prince Ascendant_, Mounting Frustrations! Take care!


	25. Mounting Frustrations

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Five: Mounting Frustrations

"Damn it all to hell!" Vegito yelled, punching a nearby mountain, reducing it to dust. It'd been a year since Gohan achieved Super Saiyan 3, but not even he and Gotenks together, at full power, was enough. Even when Sakura was thrown into the mix, this tension building within him refused to abate. They could break him physically, but his power was never truly taxed, his abilities never fully tested. He always held back, he _had_ to...if he didn't, Vegito knew he could inadvertently kill his children.

"Now now," Elder Kai said, patting Vegito on the shoulder. "There's no need to take it out on the planet, youngster. You're feeling...pent-up, aren't you?"

"How could you guess?" Vegito said through his teeth, trying his best not to lash out at the Old God. "I haven't had a good fight in years. It hurts to never be truly tested! I WANT A CHALLENGE!"

"I expected something like this," Elder Kai said, shaking his head. "It seems your natural Saiyan battle drive has been magnified like everything else about your sires' personalities."

"What do I _do_ about it, Elder Kai?" Vegito pleaded. "I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

"Apart from seeing one of your planet's therapists," Elder Kai said as he began to pace back and forth. "I don't really know. There's a lot of ways to relieve tension: a massage, a long bath, herbal tea...spending time with a pretty young lady..."

"I know where you're going, Elder Kai," Vegito began, narrowing his eyes. "And I'm asking you now to head back where you came from. I'm _really_ not in the mood."

"Sorry," Elder Kai said with an embarrassed cough. "You're right, that was inappropriate. Anyway, there's lots of little things you can do to relieve some of your tension."

"The thing is," Vegito said, sitting on the ground in a huff. "I've tried all that stuff. I meditated with Piccolo, went to a spa with Bulma and Chi Chi for a week, spent time with my kids, trained, and I'm pretty sure the world's supply of chamomile tea has taken a drastic hit in the past few months. Nothing works, and I'm nearing my wit's end!"

"There might be a solution," Elder Kai began, scratching his chin. "I do know a soothing spell, but it only works for a little while, and I can't do it too often."

"Why not? Is it dangerous?"

"Worse," Elder Kai said, looking Vegito straight in the eye. "Its addictive, like a drug. If I give it to you too often, you'll get hooked...I've seen what happens when people get addicted to this kind of spell and then have to go off it."

"What happens?" Vegito asked in a sick voice.

"They get restless, irritable," Elder Kai started, closing his eyes. "They have trouble sleeping, suffer wild mood swings, strange cravings, even hallucinations. Its not pretty."

"I think I'll pass," Vegito said with a sigh. "Thanks for the offer, though, Elder Kai."

"Any time, my boy," Elder Kai said, giving Vegito a pat on the back. "I _am_ responsible for your creation, its my duty to help you. If you ever need to talk, I'm always here."

With a wan smile, Vegito teleported away back to Capsule Corp. The house was empty: Bulma had taken the children and her parents, minus her father whom Vegito used to get there and was quite enraptured by his current work, out for the day to go shopping. She'd invited Vegito to come along, but he just wasn't feeling it, right now. Instead, he walked over to a nearby drafting table and, moving a few sheaves of paper around, began to draw on the paper. He had no idea what possessed him to do such a thing, but for some reason, it felt therapeutic. His hand moved almost automatically, each stroke of the pencil adding a new feature to the scene he was crafting. Though he couldn't see it in his mind, Vegito began seeing the shape of a cave, lit by a light without source, with runes on the floor...runes of an unknown language. After several hours, Vegito put the pencil down and looked at the finished product. He could just barely see the outline of what looked like a chamber in the centre, at the rear of the cave. He couldn't recall where he'd seen such a thing, or if he'd even seen it at all.

"That's quite good," Vegito heard from behind him, startling the Fused Warrior. "Where is this cave?"

"I have no idea," Vegito replied, turning to Dr. Briefs. "I've never seen it before in my life. It was just the first thing that came to my mind."

"A warrior and an artist," Dr. Briefs remarked with a laugh. "Colour me impressed! The control of perspective is excellent, and it looks so real!"

"Thank you," Vegito replied, blushing a little. It wasn't often Dr. Briefs handed out such blatant compliments.

Taking his leave, Vegito flopped down on his bed a few minutes later. The drawing had helped him feel at lest a little better, but as it was, he was still grinding his teeth. It'd gotten so bad that Bulma had insisted that he wear a retainer at night, so as to not chip his teeth as he slept. Putting it in, Vegito crawled beneath the sheets and willed himself to sleep. Naps were one of his only respites from his raging mind. In his dreams, he could face any opponent, and they could be as strong as he wanted. This time, however, the fight came to him...as he dreamed, Vegito could see, in the vast expanse before him a tall, slender, cat-like being with long ears, purple skin and glowing, red eyes. He grinned sadistically at Vegito. A flash of Vegeta's memory ran through his mind, and Vegito knew who was his mind had chosen him to fight: Beerus, the God of Destruction.

Grinning like a madman, Vegito readied himself. This was one opponent he didn't have to power up to get a good fight. In his dream, Vegito turned into an ascended Super Saiyan and charged. His muscles found rock-hard flesh, and they were pleased. The amount of power he was putting out in this dream was still under his maximum, but he was actually having to try for the first time since he was created. That was when dream-Beerus lost his grin and turned his head. Following the god's eyes, Vegito could just make an outline of a tall humanoid with tall hair in the blackness. In Beerus' eyes, Vegito saw respect and...what had to be admiration as he looked at this form. This was someone Beerus thought of as his better, that much was obvious. Before he could gleefully charge this new opponent, Vegito awoke to Bulma sitting on the bed and brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Bulma," Vegito said, yawning. "I was having the most wonderful dream, just now."

"Fighting Frieza again?" Bulma asked with a laugh.

"This time, it was the God of Destruction," Vegito replied as he stretched.

"That purple cat-guy you told me about?" Bulma asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Likely the most dangerous being in the known universe," Vegito answered with a wistful sigh.

"Only you," Bulma began with another laugh, slapping her husband lightly on the back. "Would go all love-struck schoolgirl at the thought of fighting a god, Vegito."

"I can't help it!" Vegito said in a pained voice. "He's the strongest being I can imagine! I want to fight him so badly, it hurts! A real test, against someone who makes the other gods tremble. The one person that caused King Vegeta to go down on his hands and knees and _beg_."

Bulma simply smiled at her husband as he gave her a kiss on the head and walked out of the room, likely to go train more. The tension in his body was growing to unbearable levels, but he couldn't just unleash everything here...there was a very good chance he'd end up doing major damage to the city if he did. He needed to feel his maximum, the wait for someone strong enough to pull it out of him naturally was too long. Flying as fast as he could as a Super Saiyan, Vegito went to the middle of the ocean south of Kame House. There, he concentrated, focusing his ki and drawing it out. Transforming into an ascended Super Saiyan, Vegito continued to push. The maddening frustration with his current state empowered him, aiding the Fused Warrior as he plumbed the depths of his power. He'd never used this transformation before, not himself, but he needed to feel it.

Vegito screamed, letting out all his rage as a violent storm kicked up around him. The world beneath him quaked and massive waves started kicking up around him. A hurricane was brewing, and Vegito was at its eye. His skin felt like it was on fire, his muscles were screaming in protest as his body rebelled against what he was doing. But, even as his entire nervous system screamed in agony, Vegito felt tension releasing from his body, as if some valve had been opened, allowing the pressure to finally be relieved. He forced his mind further, imagining fighting Beerus and needing every drop of his power to fight the Destroyer on an equal footing. His body ceased its groaning and Vegito knew he'd become a Super Saiyan 3, but that was no longer enough. There were depths yet to plumb and, so, Vegito pushed even further. The world began to shake violently, and no doubt there were stations around the globe reporting massive earthquakes. Then, he hit a barrier. Something stopped him from going further, and the shaking quieted down as Vegito's ki stabilized. He had few doubts that even the Grand Kai could feel his power in the afterlife.

This barrier was unlike the ones he remembered as Goku and Vegeta, between the first three Super Saiyan states. This felt more...biological. Like his body simply refused to go further. Was there really a cap on his power? No, barriers were meant to be broken. The Goku in him began plotting. He knew his limit, but he would push it, force himself beyond it, break it down. But, if his guess was right, and it was a limit of his body...an idea struck him. Reverting back to normal, Vegito thought of his wife, Bulma. She was a genius of unchallenged intellectual might, much as Vegito was a genius of the regular kind of might. If his body had a hard limit, maybe she could help him find a way around it, or through it. Vegito refused to let something as simple as biology stop him from getting stronger. There were beings beyond him in power, there was always someone better, or at least, that's what the Vegeta in him was saying. Where ki and, to a degree, magic had helped him become one of the strongest warriors to ever live, perhaps technology could help him...yes, it made an odd kind of sense. Focusing on his wife's ki signature, Vegito used Instant Transmission and appeared before Bulma as she sat on the couch, drinking a cup of tea.

"There was a _lot_ of shaking earlier, dear," Bulma said, putting her cup down. "Was that you?"

"Yeah," Vegito said a bit sheepishly. "I just...couldn't take it, anymore. I pushed myself as far as I could, but I hit some kind of...limit."

"A limit, huh?" Bulma said, looking at her husband with an arched eyebrow. "Something tells me you're not telling me about this just to keep me informed..."

"Perceptive as always," Vegito said with a laugh, sitting on the couch next to her. "Bulma, dear...I need your help. To become stronger and break my limits."

"Aren't you strong enough already, though?" Bulma asked.

"I am never strong enough," Vegito said firmly. "If I accepted something like that, I'd get complacent. While I'm not adverse to relaxing, I can't let myself fall behind. There might be a time when I need to be at my absolute best. If...if I'm not, I could end up losing you all, and I refuse to let that happen."

"I understand, dear," Bulma said, kissing her husband on the cheek. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Is there any way you could...I dunno," Vegito began, searching hard for the words he needed to describe what he wanted. "Find out if my body has any limits on the amount of power it can output?"

"A biological limit, huh?" Bulma asked herself. "I might, yeah. Though, I wouldn't suggest doing it on Earth, since your maximum power tends to cause massive collateral damage. I could attach a kind of sensor on you, using something similar to the old scouters I reverse-engineered a long time ago. That could measure your power output and see when it plateaus. At the same time, a second sensor in the same setup would monitor your vitals and take periodic blood samples to monitor things like heart rate, blood pressure, O2 levels, cell membrane coherence, and so on."

"Is there anything you're _not_ insanely good at?" Vegito asked with a laugh.

"Well," Bulma said with a smile. "I know Chi Chi's a better cook than I am."

Vegito laughed again. "That may be, but," he said, pulling her close to him. "I knew coming to you would be the right move. You're amazing."

"And don't you forget it!" Bulma said, poking Vegito in the stomach.

All in all, it took six months for Bulma to complete the monitoring device. If Vegito didn't know any better, he'd say that she delayed for a month or so just so it could coincide with his checkup with Elder Kai. The device, which looked like an elongated bracelet made of a bunch of weird screens monitoring all his vitals, as well as his ki output, wrapped snugly around his right forearm. Kissing his wife goodbye, he teleported to Supreme Kai's world, right next to Elder Kai.

"That the monitoring thing Bulma was making for you?" the Old God asked, looking at Vegito's right arm.

"Yep, she really came through, this time," Vegito said with a smile and a nod. "Thanks again for letting me use this place for testing."

"Any time, my boy," Elder Kai said in a friendly tone before plopping down on the ground. "Shall we get down to business, then?"

"Let's," Vegito said amiably, sitting in front of Elder Kai.

"Well, my boy," Elder Kai said after a few minutes. "I think I can safely say that you have a clean bill of health. Might I say, you look quite a bit less tense than you used to."

"I have a goal," Vegito said simply. "Something to...I dunno, _do_. It might not be a challenging fight, but I at least have something to work for, finally."

"I'm glad you've finally got something to work for," Elder Kai said as they stood up. "I won't keep you, then. You go work towards your goal, my boy, and good luck to you."

Flying to the other side of the planet, Vegito hit the green button on the device's touchscreen and, seeing the "MONITORS ACTIVE" flash across the screen, the Fused Warrior lowered his arm and focused his ki once more. The ki already pouring out of him as he ascended to Super Saiyan 3 was like a tsunami, the world beneath him was shaking violently as he continued, forcing out as much power as he could muster. For what felt like hours, Vegito strained, calling up the titanic level of ki and bringing it to the surface.

On the other side of the world, Supreme Kai stood in awe with Kibito and a smiling Elder Kai. The amount of ki flooding their planet was unbelievable. Supreme Kai finally understood how Vegito had so easily killed Majin Buu, his level of power was unlike anything he'd heard, even in myths. Why did this man _need_ to get any more powerful? What, in all of the universe, could threaten a creature with _that_ kind of power at his disposal? What kind of insane creatures _were_ these Saiyans, that one could become so powerful?

"The mind fairly boggles, doesn't it?" Elder Kai said quietly as the world shook.

"How, ancestor?" Supreme Kai asked in a strained voice. "How is he capable of generating _that much power_?!"

"Vegito," Elder Kai began, narrowing his eyes against the wind being kicked up by Vegito's continuing buildup. "Is the fusion of what had to have been the two strongest beings in the universe, second only to Majin Buu. Our earrings, when used for fusion, amplifies everything a great deal. Magic, physical strength, intellect, cunning...everything down to the fusees' personalities. Even without the amplification, Vegito would be a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to the Potara earrings, I think the only creatures _this_ universe has to offer that could challenge him anymore are the likes of Beerus."

"I don't understand, ancestor," Supreme Kai said. "Why, if he's so powerful, does he want to get stronger?"

"Its in his blood," Elder Kai answered. "Saiyans seem to have a natural drive to become more powerful, even if a threat isn't present. This personality trait was combined and _magnified_ by the fusion of Goku and Vegeta, to the point that its become an overwhelming need in Vegito's heart. Becoming more powerful is now as much a part of him as his limbs. It is part of his very purpose and being held back, even by his own body, is driving him mad."

"I...I see," Supreme Kai responded as Vegito's ki plateaued.

Back on the other side of the world, Vegito had finally hit his maximum, his body refused to budge. Now, he had to maintain it...just long enough for Bulma's device to get as much data as it could possibly acquire. Seconds felt like hours as his body strained against him until, at last, Vegito could no longer maintain his current power level. Tired and content, he reverted back to normal and hit the red "STOP" button on the device's touchscreen. Not wanting to waste any time, Vegito locked on to Bulma's ki signal and teleported away to meet his wife, and give her the data she'd need to help him break past his current limitations.

"Back already, huh?" Bulma asked playfully. "I take it that you succeeded?"

"I held my power for a good ninety seconds, maybe more," Vegito said, exhaling as Bulma gently removed the apparatus from his wrist and hooked it into a nearby computer. "That was a lot more tiring than I thought."

"Makes sense, I guess," Bulma said absentmindedly as she started tapping away. "The few times I saw Vegeta as a Super Saiyan 3, it always wore him out really fast. You might have all his experience, but your body's still going to behave differently from his. Let's see..." she hummed to herself, looking over the complicated graphs and diagrams before her. "Here's your power, seems to rise on an almost exponential scale...then, there it is, the plateau. Okay, got the timestamp for when your power started to level off," Bulma said to herself, tapping a few keys and bringing up some more graphs. "Heart rate's accelerated and O2 levels are high, but that's normal given the adrenaline levels in your blood...I think I found it! Your cell membranes start to decay as you plateau, which is why you can't maintain your maximum power for very long. They return to normal as you revert, though...hm..."

"So," Vegito said, looking at the glowing screen. "You're saying that, once I hit my maximum, my cells start to break down?"

"It would appear so," Bulma said, tapping her finger against her chin. "I wonder...AH!" she said sharply, making Vegito jump. "But, wait, you don't have a tail..."

"Why would not having a tail be important?" Vegito asked, wondering what was going through her mind.

"Well," Bulma said, tapping some more keys and bringing up a picture of the moon with what looked like radiation readings. "When I heard about Saiyans other than Goku becoming Great Apes after being exposed to the full moon, I did some research. It turns out that the sun is sending weak amounts of radiation I call 'Brute Waves' down to Earth. Now," she continued, tapping another key, bringing up another graph. "Normally, the amount is very tiny, not enough to trigger a transformation. However, the full moon acted as sort of a reflector dish, focusing the Brute Waves on to Earth. Saiyan tails act like an antenna, picking up these Brute Waves, causing the body to respond with transformation. I could probably manufacture these Brute Waves, but without a tail, you wouldn't respond to even a lethal dose."

"What good would becoming a Great Ape do me?" Vegito asked, his eyes narrowed. "I'd just be a big, strong monkey, unless...wait a minute, are you suggesting that the Brute Waves and transformation somehow change my body and make it more durable?"

"Its only a theory," Bulma said, placing her chin in her hands. "But, it makes sense. From what Vegeta tells me, your ki bolsters your body's defenses. Being a Great Ape increases the amount of ki your body has, but from what he told me, the increase in defense isn't fully accounted for by the ki boost, not according to Planet Vegeta's scientists, at least. That means, there has to be something else happening behind the scenes that they weren't seeing."

"I wonder if Dende could restore my tail," Vegito said, wondering. "If you could build a Brute Wave generator, we could take it to one of the uninhabited worlds near Supreme Kai's planet and test it out, that way, nobody can get hurt if I lose control."

"You think its worth a shot?" Bulma asked her husband in a curious tone.

"I do indeed," Vegito said with a nod. "Its something I wouldn't have thought of in a million years. Being a Super Saiyan always seemed to supplant that little trick, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were more to it than meets the eye. Besides, we can do it safely, and Vegeta was able to control the form, so I ought to be able to, as well."

"We can have Sakura and Gohan on standby, as well," Bulma said, happy to be plotting once again with her husband. "And the generator can have a limited power supply. Once your body burns through the remaining Brute Waves, you should revert to normal, or at least weaken enough to where we can sever your tail."

"Sounds like a plan!" Vegito said with a wide smile, kissing his Bulma. "How long do you think it'll take you to rig this up?"

"No more than three months," Bulma said, tapping a few keys and bringing up a blank schematic on her computer. "I'll get started right away!"

"Feels good to be moving forward again," Vegito said as he walked out to the hallway, glad that he had someone so brilliant on his side.

Whis clicked his heels together in joy. "Oh ho!" he said, happily. "This is going to be interesting! I have to say, that Bulma sure is a smart little lady, I'm very impressed. I can't wait to see what they cook up! I'm on the edge of my seat!"

Watching with rapt interest, Whis' mind ran at a thousand kilometers an hour. There were only six more months until Lord Beerus would awaken, and it looked like his challenger would end up even stronger than he'd anticipated! Even if their little plan didn't yield anything useful, which he doubted given the Earth woman's apparent knack for figuring things out with surprising ease, Whis knew that Vegito would end up training even harder, maybe even working on making his little friends stronger, too. It'd been a very, very long time since Whis had his blood rushing through his body _this_ fast! Anticipation was building in him like a balloon ready to burst. He was suddenly acutely aware of the passage of time, and it was going by almost painfully slow, for him. Whis grinned. Eons. It'd been eons since he'd been this excited about anything. For the first time in what had to have been at least a billion years, Whis was excited, his gaze fixed solely on Vegito and his comrades, waiting to see what new scheme they'd hatch next.

**Author's Notes**

This is the last before Beerus awakens! Needless to say, Whis is kind of mirroring my own excitement, with all this. I love Beerus, I love Whis, and I freaking _love_ Vegito. When I was ruminating about how to get Battle of Gods in here without it either being a complete rehash, Gogeta feature, or "Vegeta ends up the god, instead" thing, I thought about using Vegito, and lo and behold, it happened! Yeah, this was partially planned out, I'll admit. It was too good an idea to pass up!

**Phuxeds:** I hadn't thought about that, but that does introduce kind of a major problem. If Shenron could do that, then why not clone an army of Vegitos? Eventually, it'd remove all challenge from the story and, thus, all dramatic tension. Don't get me wrong, I _do_ like the idea...ooh. Hm...might have actually given me something of an idea, there...

That's about it for this installment! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Six of _The Prince Ascendant_, **_Battle of Gods_**! Take care!


	26. Battle of Gods

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Six: _**Battle of Gods**_

The past three months had moved at a snail's pace for the Fused Warrior, Vegito. After the first week, Bulma had barred him from the lab because he, in her words, "kept pestering her." Instead, Vegito watched as both his younger boys, Trunks and Goten, continued to grow like weeds. Their power had grown lock-step with their bodies, and they'd all but mastered the ascended Super Saiyan transformation. While they couldn't yet become Super Saiyan 3's, their stamina reserves weren't quite ready, they would've been able to wipe the floor with Cell in his perfect form. Vegito was proud of his boys, as well as his little girl, Bra, who had caught up with her brothers in terms of power and, as an ascended Super Saiyan, exerted better control than they did. Sakura and Gohan's progress had both been steady, though they'd both taken some time off the training schedule for social and marital reasons, respectively. Vegito didn't mind; they were adults, after all, and had lives of their own, and he was glad that they were out there living them. There had been only one thing to really attend to the entire time...

"You want me to restore your tail?" Dende asked Vegito. "Are you sure? The moon's still up there..."

"I know," Vegito said with a nod. "But, Bulma says it has a very good chance of helping me become stronger. Besides, if all else fails, she said that she can make a drug that blocks my body from absorbing Brute Waves."

"That's good to know," Dende said with a sigh of relief. "Well, I can't see the harm in trying, then. Besides, my Agent should be ready for anything!"

Dende focused his healing magics over Vegito, bringing it all to bear on his tailbone. Slowly, Vegito began to feel his rear end begin to itch as bones regrew in addition to flesh and hair. Minutes passed as Dende worked steadily, pouring his magic into the nascent tail as it began to poke out of the back of Vegito's pants. Finally, nearly half an hour after it'd begun, it ended, and Vegito marveled at his new tail as it, almost as if it could think on its own, wrapped itself around his waist.

"There," Dende said, letting out a heavy breath. "It's done, good as new!"

"Thanks a tonne, Dende," Vegito said, giving the Guardian a light slap on the back. "I owe you!"

"Just keep the planet safe," Dende said, regaining his breath. "And I'll consider us even."

That was three months ago, and Vegito had been avoiding the night of the full moon ever since then, not that such a feat was particularly difficult, thanks to Instant Transmission. Now, his Bulma was walking up to him, carrying what looked like a pocket watch in her hand.

"I'm done!" Bulma said happily, handing Vegito the device. "I don't think I've pulled that many all-nighters in a long time! So, everyone else ready?"

"They should be, yeah," Vegito said, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Are you?"

"I've always wanted to visit Supreme Kai's world," Bulma said, pulling a pair of strange-looking goggles over her eyes. "I've got my monitors trained on your ki signature, so I should be able to follow your power anywhere."

"Even millions of kilometers away?"

"It wasn't easy," Bulma said dramatically. "But, I should be able to detect you up to five astronomical units away. Let's do this, already!"

Vegito obliged, using Instant Transmission to teleport to the Son residence. Gohan and Sakura were there, waiting for him as Chi Chi, Videl, and his children looked on.

"Is it the big day, dad?" Bra asked Vegito, looking up at her father.

"That it is, little Princess!" Vegito said triumphantly.

"Good luck, dad!" Trunks said, giving Vegito a hug.

"Yeah!" Goten added. "I know you'll do it, dad!"

"Thanks, guys," Vegito said kindly to his children before turning to Gohan and Sakura. "You guys, ready?"

"As we'll ever be, dad," Gohan said, kissing his wife goodbye.

"Let's do this," Sakura said as she put her hand on Vegito's shoulder with Gohan and Bulma.

Vegito smiled confidently to his younger children as he teleported to Supreme Kai's world. It'd only been a few days since his check-up, so they were still waiting there, ready. Kibito looked at Vegito with a hint of trepidation, knowing that he was tasked with transporting Vegito to a nearby, empty planet and, should their plan fail, Gohan and Sakura to revert their father from his Great Ape transformation.

"Okay, Vegito," Bulma said after the shock of being in the gods' realm subsided somewhat. "You remember what to do, right?"

"Flip the switch," Vegito said, pulling the device from his pocket. "Hit the button. Then...just do whatever I need to do in that form to break down my damned barriers."

"We're all rooting for you, dad," Gohan said, shaking Vegito's hand.

"Are you ready?" Kibito said, walking over to the Fused Warrior. At his nod, Kibito placed his hand on Vegito's shoulder and teleported him to an empty world before returning without word, not wanting to be in the line of fire when whatever happened...happened.

His heart beating hard against his ribs, Vegito flipped the small switch on the device and pressed the button at its centre. A few moments later, he was doubled over in pain as his body began to transform due to a Brute Wave generator the device had implanted into his right hand. It'd only have enough power to transform him for three hours, but hopefully, Vegito wouldn't need so much time to figure out what needed doing. His body grew to massive proportions as his clothes ripped to shreds. Moments later, Vegito, the Great Ape, stood on the world, looking around.

For a few seconds, Vegito fought hard to contain the beast within him, but Vegeta's control seemed to have passed on completely to him. Looking at his massive, brown paws, Vegito thought hard. There was a power here, something he hadn't noticed before. His body already felt stronger, more...powerful. Then, it clicked, an idea entered into Vegito's mind. Remembering his emotions after his creation, knowing what Buu had done to Sakura, he pushed his mind hard, creating a need. This power, whatever form it would take, was what he _needed_ to ensure that never happened again! To prevent his loved ones from dying, to protect his world and all its people, he needed this power! The fire consumed his heart, the need burned brightly in his soul and Vegito looked again at his paws as his power soared: the fur had turned gold! But, this form was so bulky, so...cumbersome, so difficult to achieve. It was grossly impractical. No, he needed something better.

An image formed in his mind. Sitting alone in the void of space, Vegito saw the Earth as Vegeta had seen it before his arrival. A solitary, blue gem floating amidst a sea of blackness. A precious, delicate sapphire. On it lived everyone and everything he held most dear. Earth was his home. A tear formed in his gigantic eye, and Vegito felt his body begin to shift again, growing smaller, but not diminishing in power in the slightest. Vegito stretched out his arms behind him, his muscles screaming as his body transformed. As the ki flooded his body all at once, Vegito yelled at the top of his lungs. It didn't hurt like Super Saiyan 3. No, this felt more like his body was...expanding, on the inside. Growing to accommodate his new, massively increased power. The ki rushing out of him had turned from a mere explosion into a supernova. Soon, it was done. Vegito's mind was his once more, and his body felt...normal.

His eyes came to rest on his hands again, and he saw the beginnings of fur the colour of dried blood. Feeling up his left arm, Vegito felt a great deal of this fur, except on his chest and abs, which were exposed. His pants had, somehow, managed to survive. Running his fingers through his hair, Vegito noticed that it'd grown wild and untamed, but only half as long as in his Super Saiyan 3 form. Pulling some of it in front of his eyes, it looked more the colour of fresh blood, several shades lighter than the fur that now covered most of his body. Panicking for a second, Vegito felt his face. His eyebrows were still there! Breathing a sigh of relief, Vegito focused on Bulma and teleported back to her.

"What the hell?" Vegito heard Sakura gasp.

"What she said," Gohan said, looking Vegito up and down.

"Well," Bulma said with a laugh, looking at Vegito's face. "At least you have eyebrows, this time. Though, the red eyeliner is a bit much. So this is, what? Super Saiyan 4?"

"Looks like it," Vegito said, noticing his voice had dropped an octave.

"You're even more powerful than you were as a Super Saiyan 3, dad!" Gohan said, astonished. "And...you're not in pain? Your body's not disintegrating?"

"Not at all, in fact," Vegito commented, clenching his fist. "I feel...calm. Whole. Complete. I'm not even noticing a drain in my stamina. This is...this is astonishing!"

"Well," Elder Kai said, waving his hands around Vegito. "Everything seems to be fine. This new transformation hasn't harmed your merger in the slightest. Your ki levels have increased dramatically, though. It's like your body's compensating for it better, now."

"I'd be willing to bet that's because he's got the Great Ape's durability, now," Bulma said, looking over her husband's new form. "His cells are reinforced, so they can handle a great deal more power. Plus, I doubt you'll be getting cold any time soon, with all this fur!"

"I wonder if I could learn to do that," Gohan said in a thoughtful voice.

"You can transform into a Great Ape," Vegito said, turning to his son. "So, I don't see why not. You're certainly skilled enough. Though, you might have a hard time triggering the first stage of the transformation. I only managed it because I inherited Vegeta's control as a Great Ape."

"Still, it'd be worth it," Gohan said. "Though, I don't know how Videl would feel about me being so...fuzzy."

"She'll like it when winter comes along," Bulma remarked with a small laugh.

"So..." Sakura began, quirking her eye at Vegito's new form. "Can you change back to normal on your own?"

"I...think so," Vegito said, looking at his hands. "Though, I wanna show everyone else, first! This is so cool!"

"You know," Sakura said, scratching her chin. "I wonder what Gotenks would look like in this form. Would he grow up, or just be a strong, little fuzz-ball?"

"Oh. My. God," Vegito said, coughing with laughter. "We should totally teach Goten and Trunks this form, I _have_ to see that!"

"Bra, too," Bulma said, nudging her husband with tears of laughter in her eyes. "Otherwise, she'll be really angry with us."

"The Little Princess, covered in pink fur," Vegito said as he howled with laughter. "If it weren't for the difficulty in controlling the Great Ape form, I'd say we do this now and bring a couple of cameras so we _never_ forget."

"They'd also never forgive us," Bulma said, laughing.

"Worth it," Vegito replied, his face aching. "Though, I do actually have a semi-serious question for you, Bulma."

"What's up?" Bulma asked, looking at her husband.

"How _would_ this transformation affect children?" Vegito responded. "I mean, I'm an adult, and so is Gohan. Our bodies are already grown and mature, but the kids are still growing...would a transformation like this even be safe for them?"

"Honestly," Bulma said, narrowing her eyes in thought. "I don't really know. This is a pretty big change, physically. Pretty much all our kids are going to be entering puberty, soon, and that's going to bring a lot of physical changes really quick. I'm not sure it'd be a good idea for them to undergo such a drastic physical transformation when their bodies are already going through so much thanks to Mother Nature."

"That's what I was thinking, too," Gohan added. "They might be naturally gifted as normal Super Saiyans, but this would probably be a bit much for them to take, right now. The last thing we'd want to do is end up stunting their growth. They'll be put out, having to wait until they're adults to hit that level, but I think that would be safest. Besides, it'll give us plenty of time to understand what it entails and, if we explain our reasoning logically, I'm sure they'll at least understand."

"That reminds me," Vegito said, looking at his eldest son. "Did Chi Chi ever have...the Talk with Goten? I know I haven't, but Bulma and I have talked with Trunks and Bra about it, or at least we've told them the basics. I'm only there every other week, so I'm not one hundred percent sure what goes on when I'm not around."

"She has, yeah," Gohan said with a small laugh. "I was there when she talked to him. I think mom expected him to be shocked and confused, but Goten was actually excited about the idea of growing up. Mom just stared at him like he'd sprouted a second head."

"Man, I regret missing that," Vegito said with a laugh. "But, I'm not surprised. Goten's always been a carefree boy. Well, what do you say we show my glorious new power off to the rest of our friends?"

"Don't get a big head now, dad," Gohan said, elbowing his father in the ribs before placing his hand on his shoulder alongside Bulma and Sakura.

"Just kidding," Vegito said, locking in on the mass of ki signatures near the Son residence. "But, my power is still pretty awesome!"

With a woosh, they vanished, appearing before an expectant crowd on the Son front lawn. A wall of noise heralded the arrival of Vegito and the sight of his new form. A lot of people laughed at the fur, but Vegito knew it was all in good humour. He admitted to himself that the form _did_ look ridiculous...cool, but patently ridiculous. Naturally, his younger children crowded him on three sides, demanding he teach them how to get this form.

"I'm not sure that'd be a good idea, kids," Vegito answered. "You're going to be growing a _lot_, soon, and I don't want to run the risk of _this_ huge change affecting your body's growth. But, once you're grown, you'll learn it, I promise."

"Man," Trunks groused. "Puberty just has to screw things up!"

"But, Trunks," Goten said, an idea coming to mind. "Think about it like this: we get all that time to train with dad in his new form! Once we're old enough to use it, we'll be _really_ strong!"

"Good point, Goten," Trunks replied, visibly brightening. "When we're grown up, we'll really rock as Gotenks!"

"And I'll still beat the both of you," Bra said matter-of-factly.

"You wish, sis!" Trunks replied, sticking his tongue out at his sister.

"No wishing about it!" Bra said, poking her brother in the chest. "I train twice as hard as you do! When you're lazing around the house or playing with your toys, I'm training my butt off to be the strongest! Keep this up, and you'll never beat me, Trunks!"

"She's got you there, Trunks," Goten offered in a friendly tone.

If Vegito didn't know any better, he'd swear that Goten liked Bra. He certainly seemed to enjoy spending time with her, especially when she went off to train on her own. Then again, Goten was also Goku's son, and he seemed to inherit his father's love for training and pushing himself. Given Bra's...oftentimes fiery nature and her determination to outdo her older brother and live up to the examples set by Videl and Sakura, it was only natural that she spend more time training than Trunks did. Maybe he was over-thinking it, but Vegito did find the interplay between his kids to be very interesting, especially as they started to get older and came more into their own as people. Trunks was turning out to be very smart, but a little lazy, and Goten bound to become a mighty warrior just like his father, as hard as he trained. Their little arguments never became anything serious, and they were always friends at the end of the day.

Three months had passed since Whis saw Vegito achieve that interesting new form. Life was proceeding normally on Earth, for the time being, but it was now only a few minutes before Lord Beerus was set to awaken. Looking over his preparations one final time, Whis made his way to his lord's bedchamber. Beerus had a habit of oversleeping, and it was one of the many peculiarities of the God of Destruction with which Whis had to deal to do his duty. Besides, it was Lord Beerus himself who had insisted on awakening at this time. As Whis opened the door, a loud explosion sounded and the room filled with sooty smoke, the first of Beerus' alarm bombs had gone off.

"Lord Beerus," Whis said, looking up at the floating platform where the god slumbered. "Its time to wake up. I'd hate to see you oversleep for fifteen years and end up groggy like _last_ time."

Another pair of bombs went off, filling the room with a cloud of dust and ash.

"Alright, alright," Beerus said with a massive yawn from his bed. "I'm awake."

Pushing himself along, barely having the energy to move himself, let alone stand, Beerus eventually fell from his floating bed on to the stone floor below. Rolling with the fall, Beerus ended up sitting before Whis, letting out another long yawn before scrubbing at his eyes.

"Whis," Beerus asked, scratching the top of his head. "Why did you wake me up so early? Thirty nine years barely counts as a nap."

"Lord Beerus," Whis began, closing his eyes for a moment. "It was you that chose to wake up at this time. Surely, you remember why."

"I did...I had something important to look into," Beerus said.

"Before that," Whis said, handing his lord a towel. "I've prepared a bath for you. I suggest you take advantage of it while the water is still hot."

"You know I hate baths," Beerus said, taking the towel with a grimace.

"You're covered in soot from your alarm bombs, Lord Beerus," Whis replied. "Besides, I have little doubt that you've gathered a fine layer of dust, being asleep for nearly forty years. You don't want to garner a reputation for having a repulsive scent, my lord."

"Fine, fine, I'll go," Beerus said testily. "This dust is making me itch, anyway."

"Don't forget to brush your teeth afterward, my lord," Whis called out as Beerus stalked away to the bathroom.

About an hour later, Beerus was sitting in the dining room in his bathrobe with a massive buffet before him. He was feeling considerably less grumpy now that he had something to look forward to...indeed, if he had to pick a single reason to keep Whis around, it had to be his cooking. While he occasionally fantasized about blowing up his attendant, Beerus realized that it'd be a fruitless effort. For all his power as the God of Destruction, Whis was still in a league of his own. For several minutes, Beerus ate ravenously, stopping only to grab a drink or when he nearly inhaled his silverware by accident. Even if it was barely a cat nap, he'd still been asleep for nearly four decades, and that was more than enough to leave the cat god absolutely famished.

"Aah, that's better," Beerus said, stretching out, replete. "Now, what was it I wanted to wake up so blasted early for? Whis," he continued, looking at his attendant. "Tell me what's happened while I was asleep, maybe that will help me jog my memory."

"Very well," Whis said, summoning his staff and tapping it on the ground, calling forth a series of images. "First off, Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta shortly after you went to sleep."

"Jumped the gun, huh?" Beerus asked, looking at the image of Frieza cackling madly as Planet Vegeta was reduced to rubble. "Whatever. He might have not had...permission, but it's not like I really cared. Moving on."

"Frieza," Whis said as the images moved on. "Ruled most of that galaxy for the next two decades. However, there had been a few Saiyan survivor. The Prince, Vegeta, who had been kept under Frieza's control, Kakarot, more commonly called Goku, who had been sent to Earth the day before, and a few others who either died or are part of various Exile colonies."

"Fast forward, Whis," Beerus commanded. "Get to the good part, I know you're holding out on me!"

"As you wish, my lord," Whis said, bowing his head and tapping his staff once more, the image shifting to show Goku squaring off against Frieza. "Goku and Frieza eventually met and did battle. It really was quite a spectacular battle, by the way. Anywho," he continued, as the image shifted to Goku transforming for the first time and battling Frieza as a Super Saiyan. "He managed a transformation, something called a 'Super Saiyan.'"

"That sounds familiar," Beerus said, narrowing his eyes.

"Though Goku thought Frieza dead after this encounter," Whis continued, uninterrupted. "The Frost Daemon returned with his father eighteen months later to Earth. Here, he was defeated by a young Super Saiyan from the future, I believe his name was...Trunks."

"Time travel?" Beerus said with a laugh. "I'll bet Supreme Kai of Time is none too pleased with that!"

"Indeed," Whis said with a nod. "It would appear that one of Goku's old enemies, the Red Ribbon Army, weren't as defeated as he thought they were. One Dr. Gero created several cyborgs, and an android, for the express purpose of killing him. He also created a very interesting creature, called Cell," Whis added as images of Cell's various forms flashed past. "Who was made from the genes of the galaxy's most powerful warriors, including Frieza and Goku. At this time, both Goku's son, Gohan, and the Prince, Vegeta, had also achieved this Super Saiyan form. In the end, while Gohan had found a way to ascend beyond this form, he'd failed to kill Cell."

"So," Beerus said with a sigh. "They're all gone, I take it."

"No, Lord Beerus," Whis said as the image shifted over to Vegeta becoming an ascended Super Saiyan. "Cell made a fatal mistake: he'd killed Vegeta's son from the future, Trunks. This triggered the same kind of transformation that Gohan had undergone, and Vegeta killed Cell."

"Very interesting," Beerus began, looking at Vegeta's cold, angry eyes. "Quite an impressive specimen, isn't he?"

"He is, indeed," Whis replied with a nod. "Goku died in the conflict with Cell, and North Kai's world was destroyed, releasing Bojack. However, he was quickly killed by Vegeta, Gohan, and the Trunks of the future when Bojack decided to invade Earth. Shortly thereafter, another Frost Daemon, Arctic, came to Earth, trying to get Vegeta to join him by offering him a female Saiyan Exile, Sakura, who was...let's just say she was rather young, at the time. Vegeta took offense to this and the things Arctic's men had done to her, so he and Gohan ended up destroying him and his men."

"A despicable bastard like that," Beerus said, narrowing his eyes angrily at Sakura's battered, broken appearance. "Deserves what he got. Tell me, does Vegeta always fight with others?"

"He does seem to prefer coordinated efforts, yes," Whis said as the images shifted to Babidi and his minions. "Seven years after the defeat of Cell, Babidi arrived on Earth and managed to release Majin Buu. Eventually, Goku and Vegeta had no choice but to fuse permanently with the Kai earrings, but they managed to destroy Buu afterward as a new warrior: Vegito."

"Destroyed Buu?" Beerus asked, amazed. "You're not joking...for a mortal, that's extremely impressive. Where is this Vegito now?"

"Currently," Whis said, looking over to his staff. "He's on Supreme Kai's world, visiting with the Elder Kai."

"I thought I sealed him inside a sword," Beerus said. "A long time ago."

"You did, my lord," Whis replied. "However, Sakura ended up breaking the sword by accident and releasing him."

"Oh well, no matter," Beerus said. "Now...what was it I was looking for...Super Saiyan, it had something to do with that. I know!" he cried, clapping his hands. "I had a dream! Where I was face-to-face with a Super Saiyan God! Don't you see, Whis, it was a premonition!"

"You're precognitive abilities aren't known for their accuracy, Lord Beerus," Whis said with a sigh.

"Let's go see the Oracle Fish, then we'll see who's not known for their accuracy!" Beerus said angrily, getting up from the table.

Beerus and Whis made their way to the lake where the Oracle Fish lived. While _he_ might not be well-known for his premonitions' accuracy, the Oracle Fish hadn't been wrong, yet. The Oracle Fish had predicted that Frieza would "fall to one of his victims." Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if the Oracle Fish had seen this whole "Majin Buu being destroyed" thing coming. It claimed that it couldn't see all of time, just snippets...but, the snippets it saw were important. They were always important.

"Hey! Oracle Fish!" Beerus called out. "Get over here!"

"No need to yell," the Oracle Fish said, hovering over in his bowl. "I can hear you just fine, you know. What is it you need?"

"Super Saiyan God," Beerus said in a wondering tone. "Does that term mean anything to you? Do you have any predictions pertaining to it?"

"Hmm," the Oracle Fish said, lowering his head. "I see one arriving very soon. Very strong, lots of potential. Couldn't tell you exactly who, though."

"That settles it, then," Beerus said, turning to Whis. "It was a premonition! Whis, take us to this Vegito!"

"Very well, Lord Beerus," Whis said with a heavy sigh. "It'll take us about half an hour to get there, but I have a feeling Vegito will be there when we arrive." With a tap of his staff, Whis and Beerus were surrounded in a globe of light and were off, set for Supreme Kai's world, and a meeting with Vegito.

Sometime later, Vegito was sitting on the ground, meditating after Elder Kai's examination. He'd been declared completely healthy, and he wanted a few minutes before heading to Bulma's birthday party. It wasn't that he didn't love his wife, either one of them, but parties like the kind she threw always made Vegeta and, thus, Vegito a little uneasy. That peaceful feeling lasted only a few minutes until he heard the Elder Kai curse under his breath and look up at the sky, a worried look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Elder Kai?" Vegito asked, concerned.

"Beerus is awake," Elder Kai said before his eyes widened. "And he's heading straight for us."

"That's weird," Vegito said, looking up. "I can't feel a thing."

"You're a mortal, Vegito," Elder Kai said, his voice growing more and more alarmed. "You can't sense the presence of ones such as Beerus."

Just then, a massive globe of light appeared before Vegito. As his vision cleared, the Fused Warrior saw a familiar visage, one he'd been dreaming about for years: Beerus, the Destroyer. For all the time that had passed since Vegeta saw him as a child, Beerus hadn't changed in the slightest. Still purple, still cat-like...still with that air of smug superiority. Behind him, however, was a tall man with pale blue skin, lavender eyes, and long, tall, white hair. Vegito couldn't help but smile, even if he knew the kind of threat Beerus posed. He'd been itching for a chance to test his full might, and here was that opportunity, staring at him with a satisfied grin.

"So, Elder Kai," Beerus said, looking around him. "I see you got free from that sword I put you in."

"I hold by what I said all those years ago," Elder Kai said testily. "You undercook your meat!"

"Just because you want your steaks carbonized doesn't mean that others want it that way!" Beerus said angrily.

"Lord Beerus," the tall man said calmly. "We came here for more than holding forth on an old grudge."

"You're right, Whis," Beerus said, drawing himself up and looking at Vegito. "Let's turn our attention to more..._important_ matters. You," Beerus continued, pointing at Vegito. "Have you ever heard of something called a Super Saiyan God?"

"Can't say that I have, no," Vegito answered honestly. "I know Super Saiyan well enough, but nothing about some kind of god level. I can show you regular Super Saiyan, though."

"Why not," Beerus responded with a shrug. "It'll be interesting, at least."

With that, Vegito transformed into a Super Saiyan and looked confidently into the God of Destruction's eyes. "So," he began. "What do you think?"

"Certainly powerful, for a mortal," Beerus replied, studying him. "But, Whis here told me there's a level beyond that...don't hold out on me, now, show me what you know!"

"I'll lay it all on the table, then," Vegito said, ascending beyond Super Saiyan. "This, is an ascended Super Saiyan or, if you prefer, Super Saiyan 2. Beyond that..." Vegito continued, focusing his power and allowing it to explode outward, transforming once more. "Is Super Saiyan 3."

"That's more like it!" Beerus said excitedly.

"That's not the end of it, though," Vegito said with a grin before concentrating further. A bright light, not unlike the sun, surrounded the Fused Warrior. As it faded, his ultimate form was revealed. "This," Vegito said in a deeper, even more confident voice. "Is Super Saiyan 4."

"Such a drastic change," Beerus said happily. "In appearance _and_ power! I want to test your power. Show me what you can do!"

"Are you sure?" Vegito asked, dropping into a ready stance. "Don't be disappointed if I beat you."

"No need for the posturing," Beerus said, squaring his shoulders before his voice dropped an octave. "Just come at me with all you've got."

Vegito smiled and charged Beerus. The Fused Warrior punched as fast as he could and, before he could even make contact, he'd been blocked, the God of Destruction had moved faster than his eye could see. Vegito's grin grew wider, this was going to be every bit of a challenge as he'd thought, and it was going to be glorious. A kick from the side was blocked with the same amount of ease as the punch, and Beerus was smiling as well. The Destroyer brought a fist to bear against Vegito, one with blinding speed, and Vegito just barely managed to dodge to the side, placing a hand on Beerus' wrist and, using his momentum, he picked the god up and threw him with all his strength. As Beerus flew backwards, Vegito charged a ki wave and fired it straight towards his opponent. Beerus didn't dodge it, but instead caught it in his hands and dispersed it, shattering the attack.

"You know," Beerus said, wiping his face with his hand. "You're the first mortal to actually stand up to me, I'm impressed."

"You're the first real challenge I've had since I was created," Vegito replied happily. "The first opponent I have to actually take seriously! I've been waiting for this for years!"

"And I'm not even using my full power, yet," Beerus remarked with a sniff.

"Doesn't even matter," Vegito replied. "I've got a goal, now."

"Find this Super Saiyan God and best me?" Beerus asked with a laugh.

"I'll become strong enough to beat you!" Vegito responded loudly. "Even if that means I have to become this Super Saiyan God or whatever."

"You really think that _you_ can become a Super Saiyan God?" Beerus asked, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not sure if you're hiding something or are just arrogant."

"Elder Kai sensed some divine ki inside me that I have yet to unlock," Vegito admitted easily. "If all else fails, we could ask Shenron to tell us how to do it...I just haven't had a reason to go after it, until now."

"Fascinating," Beerus said, scratching his chin. "As a mortal, you're almost powerful enough to pose a threat to me. As a full-fledged god, you could actually be a challenge."

"Before I do this, though," Vegito said, pointing at Beerus. "I want to feel your full power! Show me what you've got!"

"Making demands of a god?" Beerus asked himself with a small laugh. "Truly, your arrogance will be your downfall, but, so be it."

Beerus, after a moment's concentration, moved almost faster than Vegito could see. The god's fists were a blur as the Fused Warrior struggled, even at his peak, to block more than one attack in three. Thinking as quickly as he could, Vegito put his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes, blinding Beerus with a Solar Flare before speeding behind the God of Destruction and spin-kicking him in the small of his back...a move that hadn't even managed to move the god more than an inch.

"That was a dirty trick," Beerus said with some heat. "I don't like tricks!"

The final word coming from his mouth, Beerus elbowed Vegito as hard as he could in the stomach. Forming his fingers into points, Beerus chased after the Fused Warrior and poked numerous points on his body. The impacts themselves were light, but the amount of pain they caused was beyond excruciating. Vegito, hammering his mind to see beyond the pain, forced his right palm forward as hard as he could, but Beerus managed to catch him in a wrist lock momentarily before tossing him into the ground, causing Vegito to revert back to normal from the pain. Vegito's eyes shot open and time slowed as Beerus' fist, faster than he could have any hope of avoiding, was inching closer and closer to his throat. As the fear of death pulsed through his body, a hand caught Beerus' death blow with blinding speed...Whis had stepped in.

"Now now, Lord Beerus," Whis said lightly. "You won't get to fight the Super Saiyan God if you kill the best chance we have of uncovering him."

"Never," Beerus said, yanking his wrist from Whis' grasp and peering at Vegito beneath him. "Trick me like that again."

"Master Kibito," Whis said, looking over at the large, red man. "Could you heal Mr. Vegito here? If he's to go a second round with Lord Beerus as a god, it wouldn't do to have him in such a rough state."

"Of course," Kibito said, an alarmed, frightened look on his face.

If Vegito didn't know any better, he'd say that Kibito was more frightened of Whis than Beerus. Feeling Kibito's magic heal him, Vegito understood, at least a bit, why that might be. The little display of speed and power, enough to outmatch Beerus, had given away a critical hint: Whis was far, far more powerful than he seemed. His own issues aside, Beerus still seemed to act like a warrior, still saw Vegito as a challenger. Whis didn't act like that in the slightest: his hold on Beerus' wrist when he'd prevented the death blow had been oddly...loose, and that smile never left his face. Whis was completely unconcerned about potentially running the risk of earning the Destroyer's ire. Either this was due to some bond the two had...or because Beerus simply wasn't someone Whis considered a threat. That latter thought frightened Vegito. Beerus was almost literally a force of nature, and Whis didn't seem fear him in the slightest.

"Now, then," Whis said as Vegito rose to his feet, completely healed. "You said someone could tell you how to unlock this...Super Saiyan God, did you not, Vegito?"

"Yeah," Vegito replied, dusting himself off. "Shenron can grant any wishes we could want, I don't see why he wouldn't be able to grant us knowledge. It just so happens that...oh. Oh crap."

"Is something the matter?" Whis asked.

"I'm late for Bulma's birthday party!" Vegito yelled, his eyes wide. "Oh no, she's going kick the crap out of me! Worse, she might not let us use the Dragon Balls she gathered for the raffle to summon Shenron!"

"If she doesn't," Beerus said, narrowing his eyes and smiling evilly. "I'll just destroy the planet."

"If we hustle," Vegito said, looking for and finding Bulma's ki signature. "We can avoid that. Grab on, I'll get us there fast!"

"Say, Whis," Beerus began, turning to his attendant. "How fast can you get us to Earth?"

"Three minutes, Lord Beerus," Whis answered.

"I can get us there instantly, if you'd prefer," Vegito said, offering a hand to the pair.

"Really?" Beerus said, raising a curious eyebrow. "Why not? I hate wasting time."

Both Beerus and Whis placed their hand on Vegito's and in a moment, they were gone. Supreme Kai turned to his Elder, an astonished look on his face. For his part, Elder Kai was extremely impressed with how well Vegito had done. For a mortal, Godtouched or no, to even land a blow, let alone several, against a true god, especially one of Beerus' caliber, was no easy feat. The Old God had no doubts that, were Vegito to truly ascend to godhood, then he would, if nothing else, be able to go toe-to-toe with the Destroyer. Since he wouldn't be a proper god, Vegito would have no limitations...his purpose could be whatever he desired. The Elder Kai wondered what would become of the Fused Warrior, were he to gain an actual title. What would he become? What does he most embody? Elder Kai admitted silently to himself that he honestly didn't know. Vegito was a lot of things, and that opened up his potential as a titled god almost to the point of absurdity.

Vegito arrived on Earth just in time to wish Bulma a happy birthday with the rest of the crowd. His wives both gave him an angry look, but with some fast explaining, including the introduction of Beerus and Whis, the former as the God of Destruction, got him back in their good graces somewhat.

"So, you think Shenron might know how to unlock this god form, huh?" Bulma asked Vegito. "Why didn't you think of that the first time you heard about that divine ki or whatever in you?"

"Honestly," Vegito said with a sheepish shrug. "I never thought I'd need it...never thought I'd actually end up fighting the Destroyer himself."

"Glad to be getting some respect around here," Beerus said with a grin as he speared a strawberry from the parfait he'd acquired and placed it in his mouth with a small squeal of delight. "As well as some _very_ fine food! I'm impressed, this planet's cuisine is exceptional!"

"Thank you, Lord Beerus," Bulma said with a smile. "Well, I suppose this _is_ an emergency. Trunks, honey," Bulma continued, turning to her son who was holding forth with the girl he'd introduced as his girlfriend less than an hour ago. "Could you fetch the Dragon Balls?"

"Sure, mom," Trunks said with a nod. "Come on, Mai! I think they're going to call Shenron, it's really cool!"

Mai squeaked as Trunks pulled her along to the house and Bulma let out a small giggle.

"Aah," Whis said with a wistful sigh, finishing his banana split. "Young love."

"Don't get all soft on me, Whis," Beerus said testily. "Though, even I have to admit, that they are rather...what's the word? Cute? Also, what's this strip of fried meat?"

"That?" Bulma asked, looking at what Beerus had in his hand. "Oh! That's bacon. Most people have it for breakfast, but it goes well with lots of things."

"Bacon, huh?" Beerus remarked, peering at the strip of meat, still hot from the griddle. "Well, bottoms up!"

Beerus' eyes went wide. For a moment, Vegito was alarmed by the sight, before he saw the smile creeping on to the cat god's face. Trust the God of Destruction to wind up loving bacon. Not that he could blame him, bacon and sausage were two of Vegito's favourite parts of breakfast. It almost made Vegito want to show Beerus that show on the internet where those guys cook almost exclusively with bacon...if he didn't end up destroying the planet, first.

"Oh!" Whis said after eating a strip himself. "Its remarkably salty, this bacon, but I like it!"

"I got the Dragon Balls, mom!" Trunks called out, holding a bulging sack in his hand.

"Thank you, sweetie," Bulma said, kissing her son on the forehead, causing much protestation and blushing on the part of Trunks. "Well, no time like the present. Shall we, dear?"

"Let's," Vegito said with a nod, looking at the Dragon Balls Trunks had scattered on the ground. "I call you forth from your slumber, rise and grant my wish! In your name, I summon you! Shenron!"

The sky went dark as a blinding flash of light snaked out of the Dragon Balls, coalescing into a great, green, serpentine dragon, Shenron. Vegito felt a small tightening in his stomach, this was it. It was either sink or swim, at this moment.

"You who have summoned me," Shenron began in his booming voice. "Tell me your two wishes that I may return to my slumber. Oh!" Shenron gasped, turning to Beerus. "I was not aware that you were here, Lord Beerus! Please, forgive me! It is an honour to receive you."

"No need," Beerus said calmly with a flippant gesture. "Just tell Vegito here how to achieve Super Saiyan God. That is _my_ wish."

"Very well, Lord Beerus," Shenron replied with a calm nod. "Long ago, a group of five good-hearted Saiyans gathered with their leader to wage a battle against a god of tyranny that had enslaved their race. By pouring their hearts, their goodness, into their leader, the five Saiyans created a god that went on to challenge their tyrannical overlord. The battle was won, but the group, as well as their leader, died, making the ultimate sacrifice to free their people."

"Wait a minute," Vegito said, a memory coming into his mind. "I remember hearing about a great Saiyan hero after which my father, King Vegeta, was named. It was said that he, the first Vegeta, saved the Saiyan race long before we took Planet Vegeta from the Tuffles, but nobody knew any of the actual details, just...that he'd saved us all thousands of years ago."

"They are one and the same," Shenron confirmed. "What is your second wish?"

"I don't have anything," Beerus said. "What about you guys?"

"I don't think I need anything," Vegito said, scratching his chin.

"Think I could get the wish?" Krillin asked a bit quietly.

"Sure, why not?" Vegito said with a shrug.

"Shenron," Krillin began, stepping ahead of the crowd. "I want a billion zeni! Delivered to my house, if you don't mind."

"Your wish is granted," Shenron said, his eyes glowing. "I have granted your wishes, farewell!"

With a blinding flash, the Dragon Balls dispersed. Beerus merely stood, looking expectantly at Vegito with a smirk on his face. The Fused Warrior knew what the Destroyer wanted, and he would gladly oblige him.

"Five Saiyans, huh," Vegito muttered. "Gohan, Trunks, Bra, Sakura, Goten, I need your help for this one."

"You can count on us, dad!" Goten said, pounding his chest.

"Yeah!" Trunks agreed. "We'll make you the strongest god ever!"

The group joined hands in a circle and focused everything within them into Vegito. Their hearts, their minds, their power, all went into the Fused Warrior, begging for his power to be unleashed. In a flash, their auras all turned a calm, brilliant blue and converged on Vegito, who had his eyes closed, focusing on the strange serenity taking hold in his mind. Unbeknownst to the Fused Warrior, he began to float in the air, a quiet light so bright, so pure it made the sun look dirty in comparison, radiated from his body. As it died down, Vegito opened his eyes and landed on the ground, looking at his hands, wondering if the transformation had actually taken effect.

"Has..." Bulma began in a shocked tone. "Has his hair gone red?"

"Yeah," Gohan said with a nod. "And, I can't feel his power, anymore."

"Well, it looks like they've succeeded, Lord Beerus," Whis said calmly.

"Indeed," Beerus said with a nod and a hungry smile. "It would seem that he's become remarkably powerful. He actually registers, now."

"You really think I've become a god?" Vegito asked, not feeling the slightest bit different from normal.

"You'd best hope you have," Beerus said, stepping up to the Fused Warrior. "If you haven't, and you fail to give me adequate challenge, your world, and everything on it, is forfeit."

"I can't let you destroy Earth," Vegito replied calmly. "Let's do this, then."

As everyone ran for the proverbial hills, Vegito and Beerus shot into the air, ready to square off once more. Vegito noticed that he could finally feel Beerus' ki, and it was no wonder he lost as badly as he had, even as a Super Saiyan 4, the Destroyer's power was almost suffocating in its comparative enormity. But, Vegito could not lose, he refused to let the people he loved be hurt because of his failings ever again. He would take this gift they gave him, and he would protect them with it, even at the cost of his own life.

Vegito could actually follow Beerus' moves better as the Destroyer charged him. The Fused Warrior caught the punch aimed for his face. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, Vegito hammered his fist into Beerus' stomach several times before sending him flying. Beerus righted himself in the air, then looked at his stomach in alarm as a ki ball rested neatly beneath his ribs, pulsing with power twice before exploding. It was a trick Vegito had picked up from Sakura's playbook during their training: cause enough pain, and your opponent won't notice when you've placed a literal time bomb on them as their bodies will be too busy processing the pain to feel the telltale burning sensation of a ki bomb. The more he trained with the young woman, and the more learned she became, the more Vegito realized that she was the most dangerous woman on the planet. Turning his attention back to the fight, Beerus was visibly bleeding where the bomb had gone off, his face a mixture of pain, anger, and delight.

"That actually hurt," Beerus said, wincing. "You don't disappoint. Good!"

"I take it," Vegito replied, deflecting a ki beam Beerus shot at him. "That doesn't happen very often."

"Only two people have ever hurt me in my life," Beerus said, blocking a punch from Vegito and putting him into a wristlock. "One of them is gone, the other…" Beerus continued, hammering a kick into Vegito's chest. "Is my attendant and instructor, Whis."

"That makes sense," Vegito began, grabbing Beerus' second kick, lifting him overhead, then throwing him towards the ground. "Whis doesn't seem threatened by you, that'd only be possible if he were very stupid, or very powerful."

"You catch on quick," Beerus said with a laugh as he pulled himself up, wiping blood from a badly split lip.

"You can thank Vegeta for that," Vegito responded, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Goku was an excellent warrior, but Vegeta was always the more observant of the two, especially after that whole Cell fiasco."

"Whis showed me," Beerus said, dusting himself off. "I was surprised…you seem to be born from the two most powerful mortals around. But, you speak of your progenitors as if they're dead."

"Aren't they?" Vegito asked a hint of pain entering his voice. "They're worse than dead. While I live, they don't even exist as individuals. At least, if they were dead, they could be brought back by Shenron. As it is, Supreme Kai is working with Dende to undo what made me."

Beerus narrowed his eyes, saying, "But, you'd be killing yourself in the process."

"I don't want to die," Vegito said, his chest aching. "I don't know what to do when the time comes."

"This really bothers you," Beerus observed, his voice belying his curiosity.

"I can't deny my families their husbands, their fathers," Vegito said, a tear coming down his face. "But…I don't want to die, either. I can't help it. Damn it!" he cursed, slamming his fist into the ground, creating a massive dent in the earth beneath him. "It isn't fair!"

"A god riven by a choice between life and death," Beerus said calmly before snorting lightly. "That sounds familiar. Vegito," Beerus said, laying his hand on the Fused Warrior's shoulder. "Listen to me. I know what you're feeling. I…understand. I'm satisfied."

"You're satisfied?" Vegito repeated, his mind refusing to process what he'd just heard.

"I'm satisfied, Vegito," Beerus said, helping his opponent up. "You provided me with a challenge in more ways than one. I can't go into details, but I see…something in you, something I understand. It doesn't hurt that you managed to plant me into the ground without your god power-up."

"What?" Vegito said, alarmed, looking around at his hands and clothes. "When did that happen?"

"Shortly after that ki bomb you planted on my stomach went off," Beerus replied with a nod. "It would seem your body absorbed the divine ki you unlocked and is now making it on its own."

"I can't believe it lasted such a short time," Vegito spat. "That could've been disastrous…"

"With as much power as you radiate, I'm not surprised," Beerus said with a laugh. "I'm sure, with a little training, you could well be a real rival to me, and I've had more days training than the human species has had alive. You're a unique individual, Vegito, and you've given me something not even Whis has managed. Maybe, one day," Beerus continued, sticking out a hand to Vegito. "We can call one another 'friend,' what do you say?"

"Friends with the God of Destruction?" Vegito said with a weak laugh, grasping Beerus' hand. "How could I say no? And…you understand. I think you're the only person that has ever said that…at least, the only one I ever believed."

"Well," an airy voice said behind the duo. "I can honestly say that I didn't see that coming."

"Likewise, Whis," Beerus said with a chuckle. "Still, I'm up a planet with incredible cuisine and a new friend. I think I can call this a successful outing. Besides, it's not like there aren't other planets out there to destroy."

"Is that really…necessary?" Vegito asked Beerus. "Destroying planets, killing things?"

"It is," Beerus said firmly. "Without destruction, creation can't commence. Without death, there wouldn't be any room for new life. I work to help keep balance in this universe, as other Destroyers do for their universes."

"Other Destroyers?" Vegito asked, astonished. "Other universes? Really?"

"You didn't think this was the only one, did you?" Whis asked with a high laugh. "Dear boy, there's more universes than one could ever _hope_ to count! Each one changing things, some a little, some a lot. In some universes, _you're_ a woman, in others intelligent life on Earth is reptilian, and the list goes on. There are even some universes where the laws of physics are completely different. It is…a wondrous thing to behold. Maybe, you'll see it, one day."

"You've seen other universes be created?"

"Created?" Whis answered with another, smaller laugh. "Well, some of them, I suppose, _were_ created, at some point _very_ long ago, but no. Universes aren't created, anymore. Not intelligently, at any rate. Think of all the universes as bubbles floating around in a soup. When one of those bubbles hits another, they bounce off and all the energy released when they collide forms a new universe. While there are some fundamentals that don't change, there are an infinite number of possibilities out there."

"Wow," Vegito said, looking at the ground beneath him in shock and awe. "That really does sound amazing. You've witnessed this, Whis?"

"I have," Whis replied with a kindly nod. "If you ever want to see it after this, just let me know. Normally, I wouldn't offer this to someone other than a god, but seeing as you are one now, I can't see the harm."

"I'd love to see that," Vegito replied with a deeply respectful nod.

"Shall we depart now, Lord Beerus?" Whis asked his charge.

"Actually," Beerus replied, looking at the ship floating above them. "I was thinking I could attend the festivities here, if there's still some to be had."

The trio flew to the ship that was hovering overhead, much to the surprise of its occupants. Displaying even more strange power, Whis tapped his staff and made a hole in the ship for them to pass, which promptly sealed itself once they were inside. It took some convincing, and an apology on Beerus' part for disrupting the party in the first place, but Bulma and the crowd were willing to continue the party with the two gods as their honoured guests. Vegito, now able to feel the power of gods, looked at Whis and was quietly astonished. There was almost nothing there. It was still more detectable than the complete lack of presence he'd had before, but it was…alarming, to feel so little from one so powerful. It was possible that he was hiding the bulk of his divine power, but Vegito got the feeling there was much more to this Whis than met the eye. Beerus was comparatively simple: proud, strong, and confident, not unlike Vegeta. While there was something deeper in the cat-god, some small stirring, Vegito couldn't quite make it out. Maybe, in time, he'd come to understand his new friends. Smiling, Vegito vowed that he would do just that.

On the edge of the crowd, Ein Viginti excused himself from the festivities, deciding to head home. Today had been a very interesting day, to say the least. To learn of the factual existence of gods was one thing, to see their power on display, not to mention their creation, was another thing entirely. Vegito had far greater potential than he'd originally estimated. Frowning slightly as he walked, Ein dropped three small balls on the ground, each no bigger than a pea. From them came what looked like a grey, glistening smoke, which immediately set out back towards Capsule Corp, disappearing to invisibility in the darkening sky as they went to their designated assignments. More data was needed, and more samples. A few minutes' walk later, a small whine echoed in Ein's ears, signaling the loss of one of the clusters he'd sent, the one he'd sent to investigate the tall, blue fellow. They'd self-destructed. They'd only do that if it was a certainty that they'd be detected. Ein's frown grew. Now in a dark alley, he pulled up his right sleeve, revealing a silver watch. Pressing on the face three times, Ein Viginti disappeared, his destination known only to him.

**Author's Notes**

Awwwww yeah! I've been aching to write this one for a while, now! I can't help it, I love Whis. And Beerus. Hell, I love the whole movie. Let's answer some questions, shall we?

**SuperVegitoFAN:** Goku, dead, doesn't have infinite stamina, just a _lot_ of stamina. At least, not in this particular story. His body, being dead, doesn't require things like food or water or even air, all he truly needs is sleep. His _mind_ is convinced that he needs to eat, as are the minds of most people in Otherworld, outside the Kais and, thus, he eats much like he normally did. With this comes a lot more freedom, as a nap can see him at top stamina when others would need a full meal and a good night's sleep.

**Anon**: Yeah, I was heading to SSJ4, there, but I have a decent enough reason and explanation. Ya see, it has to do with how much power a Saiyan (or any living) body can output. SSJ3, at least as I understand it, _literally kills_ whoever uses, if they use it for too long. Now, there's two ways to do that, as far as I know, in DBZ: one, it burns up your life force, which is an interesting theory, but not the one to which I ascribe. Two, it fills your body with so much ki that it begins physically breaking down, as you've gone well past your limit. The second theory is the one with which I'm going, as you can no doubt tell. Now, oozaru boosts a Saiyan's defense, at least, as I understand it. However, it doesn't really make sense to me that, just because you're bigger, means you take less damage or feel less pain; flesh is flesh and nerves are still nerves. _But_, if we posit that the Brute waves effect a physical transformation, it would stand to reason that it'd happen on a cellular level, making them more resilient. Combine that with SSJ _also_ effecting a physical transformation, albeit small, yet permanent, then you have a mixture for golden oozaru being a thing. Condense that form into something usable, and you have SSJ4: all the power (and then some) of SSJ3 with none of the drawbacks.

**HeavyLight12:** Brute waves is an alternate translation that was around before GT had officially been dubbed into English. I prefer it because it sounds less…I dunno, weird, I guess. Sounds more Saiyan, ya know?

Finally, yes, Beerus is…different from canon. Again, I have my reasons which will be revealed later on. Suffice to say that neither Beerus nor Whis are exactly what they appear to be. Plus, some more plot development! I love it when a chapter comes together…and is so damned long! Well, that's about it from me, folks. Thanks for all the continued support and I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Seven of _The Prince Ascendant_, Of Gods and Daemons! Take care!


	27. Of Gods and Daemons

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Seven: Of Gods and Daemons

"Hm," Ein began, tapping a strange iridescent crystal instrument against his desk, staring at the same readout he'd gone over a thousand times before. "This makes no sense…I know I heard mention of divine ki, but the instruments aren't picking up anything from these cells."

It'd been a problem he'd been trying to solve for the past three weeks. He'd gathered plenty of samples from that God of Destruction, as well as from Vegito, but there was nothing he could glean from them. Beerus' cells might as well have not existed, for all the power they were putting out, and Vegito's cells presented nothing new outside increased cell membrane thickness and improved ki throughput. It was as if something were masking it, hiding the signal from normal eyes…thinking on it, an idea hit him. Perhaps the godly ki was piggybacking on the mortal ki, hiding itself from normal senses! Turning the crystal instrument slightly in his hand, the line of the graph shifted downwards before sharply turning back up. Ein's eyes widened, the signature here was in perfect sync with the normal ki signal, but carried an energy his instruments were having a difficult time quantifying. It was at least…five? No, six, orders of magnitude higher in energy than the normal ki signal that'd been masking it, but since it marched lock-step with the normal signal, it was indistinguishable from normal ki, and its spin was different.

"That's it," he hissed before tapping the crystal on the desk again, switching the view over to the sample of Beerus' cells he'd acquired. Applying the same filter he'd used on Vegito's cells, he heard the instruments begin to hum and groan as they processed the obscene amount of power that was now being picked up. The amount of power in this signal was only barely stronger than that of Vegito, but it was far more…pure, the signal far cleaner and with fewer jagged peaks and troughs. An alarm on his desk went off and Ein laid the crystal instrument back on his desk, saving all the work and progress he'd made this day. He had an appointment with a young Saiyan lady, and appearances must be kept. Clicking his watch, Ein disappeared.

Far across the universe, Vegito was breathing heavily, his eyes staring at the calm, relaxed figure of Whis before him. Before they'd departed the party five weeks ago, Whis had extended an invitation to Vegito to come train under him as Beerus had done. Relishing an opportunity to train with someone who could easily best the God of Destruction, Vegito agreed. It'd been the most satisfying five weeks of his life, as Whis was proving to be an opponent unlike any other.

"I think that's it for today, Vegito," Whis said in a friendly tone. "I'm impressed, you're definitely stronger than Lord Beerus, now, but your speed needs working on."

"How do you manage to dodge me so easily?" Vegito asked, his breathing finally returning to normal.

"There's a certain technique I've mastered," Whis began, leading Vegito out to the lakeside. "For all your might, Vegito, you still rely on thoughts for physical action. That is to say you think before you move instead of just moving. Your nervous system can only operate so quickly, so when you think before moving, you lose precious fighting time. This should be your goal, learning to let go and allow your limbs to move independently. Master this, and you'll be able to avoid any danger, no matter how severe. However," Whis continued, picking a flower from a nearby garden. "Don't let the simplicity of the idea fool you, this is an incredibly difficult task, not even Lord Beerus has mastered it, and he's a god."

"Implying that I'm not?" Vegito asked with a grin.

Whis laughed, "Oh you are, but Lord Beerus was _born_ a god. You, on the other hand, are what we used to call 'Godtouched,' mortals with divine ancestry. A long time ago, your kind used to be very numerous, as were gods in general, but a catastrophe occurred that wiped out most of the gods and Godtouched in this universe."

"There were more gods beyond you guys and the Kais?" Vegito asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"There were," Whis explained calmly, a slight edge to his voice. "I will not speak the name of the calamity that annihilated the majority of this universe's gods, but there were once so many that most planets had entire pantheons to themselves. Gods of war, love, wisdom, sacrifice, chastity, you name it. When they died, the only ones that were left behind were the gods of creation, the Kais, and Lord Beerus and a smattering of lesser gods and a few Godtouched, like the Saiyans."

"You say 'they'," Vegito began, his eyes narrowing. "Aren't you a god, too?"

"Not…strictly speaking, no," Whis said, shaking his head. "I am something beyond a god."

"What are you, then?"

"What I am about to tell you, Vegito," Whis said firmly. "Is not to reach the ears of any other being, living or dead, aside Lord Beerus, who already knows, is that understood? Not even the Kais."

"I'll keep your confidence," Vegito stated with a solemn nod. "You can trust me."

"There are certain…facts," Whis began, breathing deeply. "Of life, in this universe and all others, that do not change. Life, Death, Chaos, Order. I, Vegito, am a Constant, an embodiment of one of these unchanging facts. I am the Constant of Order. It is my purpose to see that the order of the universe is kept at any and all costs."

"Then, why work with Beerus?" Vegito asked. "That just seems contradictory, to me, given that he's the God of Destruction."

"Lord Beerus may cause temporary chaos," Whis said simply. "But, it is in service to the preservation of a higher order. He fulfills a necessary function critical to the preservation of this universe's inner workings and, thus, I have elected to train him, to enable him to serve his function to the utmost of his ability."

"Allowing the cycle of creation and destruction to continue," Vegito said quietly to himself. "That makes sense, I suppose, and I assume that's also why I have a difficult time picking you up, yet you still outclass me. You know," Vegito spoke up, a proverbial light bulb clicking on in his head. "I just thought of something, why do you guys all have titles? Like, Beerus is the God of Destruction, the Kais are the Gods of Creation, and so on. Do I get a title?"

"You may," Whis replied with a nod. "But, most gods either inherit or are given their titles, and some choose to embody certain concepts or fulfill certain purposes. Beerus is one of the last category. As for one like you, receiving a title is a great honour, and the one you'd get would reflect your personality and define your overall place in the divine sphere. However, a title can be quite limiting, and those who go against them rarely meet pleasant fates."

"So," Vegito said after a moment's thought. "If I got a title, it'd reflect who I am and what I do, but it'd also limit me and keep me from doing things that would contradict it? Like, if I became a God of Justice, I couldn't just outright kill someone?"

"More or less," Whis responded with a shrug. "There are allowances, of course, as every god faces moral and personal dilemmas from time to time, but that's the long and short of it. I must say, you're behaving in a most...peculiar manner. Most Godtouched who ascend to true godhood get a rather large head about the whole situation."

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't boost my ego some," Vegito admitted with a small laugh. "But, when I got introduced to this whole thing, I realized that there are beings beyond even my power, you for example. Even as a god, there are beings that are stronger than me, and it gives me something to work for, again. Honestly, its a relief. I've spent so long being bored, forced to hold back in training with my family, that I was starting to go a little nuts. Now that you and Lord Beerus and whatever gods are out there have been thrown into the mix, I've got something to do and someone I can go all-out with."

"I see," Whis said slowly, a grin creeping up on his face. "You are certainly a most interesting specimen, Vegito. You know, I forgot something in your introduction to the world of gods!"

"Huh? What's that?"

"You remember what I told you about after your bout with Lord Beerus?" Whis asked, smiling at Vegito's nod. "Would you like to see it? Even for one such as me, it is a most...enlightening experience."

"I'd love to, Whis," Vegito said, his eyes widening as the Constant stood with him, tapping his staff on the ground three times.

The view of the lake shifted and, before him, Vegito saw brilliant, shimmering bubbles moving about in a sea of black. As he looked about him, a sense of awe filled his heart. In each of these bubbles, Vegito could make out faint specks of glimmering light and he realized that the beautiful, iridescent dots he was seeing, what looked like grains of sand reflecting the noonday sun, were in fact clusters of galaxies. Watching them float in the sea of inky darkness, Vegito felt a soaring sensation before Whis raised a hand and pointed at an individual bubble, one that seemed to be calling to him.

"That," Whis said as the bubble soared towards them. "Is our universe. Everyone you've ever known, everything you've ever done, all you are, all you will ever be, is contained in this tiny little bubble. Your galaxy isn't even visible on this scale."

"That's..." Vegito began, choking up. "That's...everything."

Another bubble was nearing their own, and in it, an untold infinity of lives continued, many completely oblivious to the greater scale of the cosmos around them. Another reality, maybe even another Earth with another Bulma, another Chi Chi... As the bubble inched towards his own, they drew together, some invisible force attracting them. In an instant, the two universes collided and, in a brilliant flash of light, they separated and, where they had collided, a new, small bubble was beginning to expand. The beginning of another everything, of an entirely new existence with new rules, new possibilities, new life. Walking forward, Vegito peered into the newly-formed universe, watching as an entirely new reality began to take shape. Looking back into the sea of universes, Vegito found his own again. It slowly glided into his hands, and Vegito smiled, tears streaming down his face. The Earth wasn't even an atom, at this scale. In his hands, the universe looked much like the Earth did from above: small, fragile...vulnerable. A steely lump formed in his chest as he let the bubble go, letting his universe float freely in the infinite darkness. This was why he trained, why he fought. Not just to protect his own little part of the universe, but to protect it all. It'd come close to ending when Majin Buu appeared, but he'd pulled it back from the brink. As the view faded and the lake returned, Vegito understood his purpose, understood why he'd been created. He was meant to protect all of it, to save them.

Falling to his knees, Vegito began to cry. It wasn't fair. In a few brief moments, he'd discovered his reason for being. But, the Dragon Balls were less than a year out from being able to separate him back into Goku and Vegeta. His life had been so brief, it wasn't fair. Just then, an alarmed voice rang in Vegito's mind, it was King Kai. Something was wrong on Earth, and he was needed. Forcing himself up, Vegito steeled his heart. He would do what needed to be done. Thanking Whis for what he'd shown him, Vegito locked on to Bulma's ki signal and, using Instant Transmission, disappeared.

Four weeks after the encounter with Beerus, Sakura was on her way to meet with her friend, Ein. It was their gaming day with their friends and Ein had invited her to coffee beforehand, something he'd made a habit of since before that whole debacle with the Destroyer. She enjoyed the time they spent together...if she didn't know any better, she'd almost think he was hitting on her. That wasn't the strange part, though. The strange part was that she didn't really mind that idea, too much. Normally, such things made her supremely anxious, but lately, Sakura had actually begun entertaining the idea, to a small degree. It wasn't like it was something she didn't want, she'd loved the idea of having a boyfriend, but she knew what it'd likely lead to, and the idea filled her with dread. While Sakura still didn't quite like the idea of intimacy on that level, she felt that she was at least capable of it, given the proper amount of time to digest it all in her head.

She wondered, some days, where he disappeared off to when he went home. Nobody in their circle of friends could say that they'd ever been to his place, but they'd all just assumed that he was an intensely private individual and respected that fact. Sakura could tell that Ein was, at times, holding things back, every once in a while his ki would become slightly uneasy for no particular reason and, other times, he felt very distant and calculating. For all his secretive nature, Sakura couldn't help but like Ein. Sitting down in front of her friend, she noticed that his face looked more lined than usual.

"Ein," Sakura began tentatively. "Is everything okay? You look worried about something."

"Hm?" Ein asked, slightly distracted. "Oh, its nothing, just lost in thought. You know how it is."

"Okay," she replied with a small laugh to ease the small knot of tension in her stomach. "Just...if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me, if you need it."

"Thanks, Sakura," Ein said warmly. "That means a lot."

"I hope they choose another fighting game," Sakura said after a moment's silence. "I didn't really care for that racer Reis picked out, last time."

"You're only saying that because I _dominated_," Ein said with a smile. "And of course, nobody can beat you at the fighting games because you've got superpowers."

"What?" Sakura asked, shocked. "How...?"

"How'd I know?" Ein replied with a sly grin. "When that Beerus guy showed up at the party, you were following Vegito's movements for a while, there while Mrs. Briefs couldn't even make out what was happening."

"Damn," Sakura said lightly. "I underestimated you. Well, you're right, I guess I do have superpowers. I mean, its not like other people can't learn how to do similar stuff, but I am one of the strongest people on the planet."

"That sounds perfectly humble," Ein quipped sarcastically.

"Its not bragging if its true," Sakura said defensively. "The only one that really comes close is Gohan, and Vegito's got us both beat by several orders of magnitude."

"Just under a guy that fought a god?" Ein asked, arching an eyebrow. "That's impressive."

"I do train a lot," Sakura admitted.

Ein merely laughed at that and they finished their coffee, setting out shortly thereafter to enjoy another session of fun with their friends. That was when Ein disappeared. For a week afterward, he didn't call, didn't send any emails or messages, wasn't picking up or answering anyone's inquiries. It was as if he'd fallen off the face of the Earth. Then, the proverbial ground opened up.

A day shy of five weeks after the encounter with Beerus, Ein looked at the specimen growing to its final shape in the chambre lying along the floor. In the green, bubbling fluid rested a body, one grown carefully over the course of several years, using all the data and samples he'd collected. The time was now, his work was done and the realization of his goal was at hand. Throwing a nearby switch, a crystal ring passed over the bed, a thin film of purple light falling over the body. All the tomes he'd scoured had allowed him to build this magnificent device. Tuned and calibrated just so, the magic combined with all his technical abilities would allow one to recall a soul from the underworld. Originally a ritual to summon daemons, Ein had adapted it to his purposes. The fluid drained from the chambre and the glass at the top slid open. As the unearthly light bathing the body faded, Ein saw the creature's eyes open and place a hand on the side of its container.

In a moment, the results of all his work was standing before him, tall and powerful: Cell, revived and improved. As his creation's power stabilized, the green of Cell's body turned red. Cell looked at his hands and clenched his fists, feeling the power ebbing through his now-living body. He'd been trapped in Hell for what felt like an eternity, but someone had called from the world of the living, wanted to bring him back, something the Ultimate Being had gladly obliged. It would seem that his caller had more than delivered, his body was even stronger than he'd remembered, a titanic amount of power flowing calmly through his limbs.

"You're the one who called me back to this side?" Cell asked Ein in a calm voice.

"I am," Ein said with a bow. "I am Cyborg Twenty-One, the last creation of Dr. Gero before you. In a way, we're brothers."

"Oh?" Cell asked, amused.

"I was created using principles that later made you possible," Ein responded with a smile at his resounding success. "A living base, with biological and minor technological alterations to improve my abilities well above normal limits."

"The good doctor was always so keen on improving his creations, wasn't he?" Cell asked rhetorically. "So, how long have I been gone, _brother_?"

"It has been over eleven years since your defeat," Ein replied factually. "I was activated shortly after Dr. Gero's primary lab was destroyed. This secondary lab was to act as a backup in case Seventeen and Eighteen went rogue or an accident occurred which resulted in the destruction of the primary lab. I was to act as his assistant or, in the event of his death, his successor."

"So," Cell began, working to get it all straight in his head. "You decided to recreate the late doctor's greatest achievement? It seems you've improved upon the design a great deal."

"Much has happened since you died, brother," Ein responded, taking a nearby seat and motioning for Cell to sit as well. "In no particular order: Vegeta achieved a form beyond an ascended Super Saiyan, the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly, returned to Earth and was defeated, a new Frost Daemon came to Earth and was killed, a Saiyan girl was rescued from him and trained by Vegeta and Gohan, Vegeta and Goku have permanently fused into Vegito to destroy a creature called Majin Buu, the God of Destruction, Beerus, arrived and Vegito ascended to godhood."

"My body feels different," Cell remarked. "I take it you...borrowed cells from these warriors?"

"As many as I could," Ein responded. "Though, I was not able to get any samples from Majin Buu or Beerus' assistant, Whis."

"So, you're saying I have the power of a god, now?" Cell said, astonished and gleeful.

"That you do," Ein replied with a smile. "How do you like it?"

"I'll need someone to test it on," Cell said with a wide-eyed grin. "You know, I don't think 'Perfect Cell' cuts it, anymore. I'm so new, so...improved. Hm...what do you think of 'Neo Cell?'"

"I think it fits you perfectly," Ein said with a nod. "And, you can get your revenge for your death and imprisonment in Hell. I don't believe Vegito is on Earth, but I'm sure once you make your presence known, he'll come running."

"Well then, let's get started," Cell said before Ein put up a hand, forestalling him flying off to wreak havoc.

"If you don't mind, brother," Ein said diplomatically. "I'd like a day to observe you. Divine ki is something I still don't quite understand, so I need to make sure your new body isn't going to break down now that has a spirit inside it."

"I don't like the idea of resting on my laurels," Neo Cell said with a light growl. "However, you do have a point. I'd hate for my body to give up on me when I need it most, it'd be very embarrassing."

Neo Cell sat cross-legged on the floor and entered into a meditative trance. Within him, great power stirred, far greater than he'd possessed during the Cell Games. There were more warrior's techniques burned into him, as well...his body told tales of Vegeta's children and Goku's second son, of a young Saiyan woman of incredible strength, of an ascended fusion of Goku and Vegeta, and most amazingly of all, of the God of Destruction himself. Within him pulsed a new, red ki, a ki with surprising harmony and superlative power. This Twenty-First Cyborg had really done his work well. His time in Hell had been painful, forced to watch as his body, his _perfect_ body, withered and rotted away, only to be restored and set to decomposing once more. Just as his mind had nearly been lost to him, a new voice had called to him, and a magic washed over his soul that he'd never before experienced. Desperate for any relief from his torment, Cell had set his mind running toward that voice, and that was when he awoke, returned to the world of the living with a new body and a chance at revenge. A day later, Cyborg Twenty-One broke Cell from his trance, his studies concluded.

"What's the prognosis?" Neo Cell asked as he stretched.

"Your body is in peak physical condition," Cyborg Twenty-One replied, grinning. "It shows no sign of decay or decoherence. Everything seems perfectly stable, and you should be ready to fulfill your original objective."

"The destruction of Son Goku," Cell said with relish. "And, I get to eliminate that bastard, Vegeta, as well. This truly is a red-letter day."

"Vegito is away, right now," Twenty-One said, standing up. "However, I've little doubt that, if you cause enough ruckus, he ought to come running, eventually."

"So, I get a little warmup before the main event?" Cell asked with a haughty laugh. "Good! My muscles are beginning to ache from all this sitting around. Let's see," Cell continued, looking around, feeling the various ki signals around the planet. "Aah, how about we start with Gohan, hmm? That little brat who made possible my first defeat."

"Proceed as you see fit," Twenty-One added with a nod. "I'll keep an eye on things from afar. After all, I'd hate to get in your way."

Cell smiled, this final Cyborg wasn't slow on the uptake, was he? Putting his fingers to his forehead, Cell teleported to Gohan who had been outside, tending to a garden near his house. The sound of Instant Transmission drew Gohan's attention first, and even as he turned his head, the rush of murderous intent washed over him like a hateful wave. Before him stood Cell, his green body turned red and the grin on his face oozed confidence and malevolence in equal portion.

"We meet again, Son Gohan," Cell said as his grin grew wider.

"Cell?" Gohan choked out, horrified. "How? Nobody's used the Dragon Balls aside from us! How did you come back?!"

"Oh, that would be telling," Cell replied with a laugh, wagging his finger in Gohan's face. "Besides, the how is ultimately unimportant. I'm here for retribution, and I'm starting with _you_."

"I'm a lot stronger than I was last time we fought," Gohan said as he powered up, his hair going gold and electricity sparking from his aura.

"So am I."

Cell disappeared before Gohan could react, appearing behind him, an ear-to-ear smile stretched across his face as he backhanded the half-Saiyan across the field and into a nearby tree. As Gohan got up, he saw this new Cell towering over him, wearing a victorious smirk. He hoped that Sakura would sense him soon...something about this fight wasn't right, he could feel it in his bones. He needed backup. Cell threw a punch towards Gohan's face, which the Son of Goku barely managed to block, forcing his remaining fist hard against Cell's stomach. Again. Again and again, all the while, Cell remained unmoving, practically mocking Gohan's attempts to harm him. As Cell readied a ki blast, the sound of Instant Transmission came from the creature's side and Sakura appeared, kicking him hard in the side, knocking Cell to the ground.

"Gohan, what's happening? Who's this?" Sakura asked, looking at Cell, eyes wide, as he got up.

"Its Cell," he said with a cough. "Vegeta killed him over a decade ago, but he managed to come back, somehow, and he's a lot stronger than he was last time."

"You know," Cell said testily, dusting himself off. "Its rude to talk about someone when they're standing right in front of you. But, this must be the pretty young woman you and Vegeta rescued shortly after my defeat," he continued, giving Sakura an appraising look that sent a cold chill running down her spine. "I have to say, if you're how Saiyan women are normally built, I must colour myself impressed. They look far better than their weak _human_ counterparts."

"I'd prefer it," Sakura said, calming her mind and releasing her power. "If you didn't comment on my assets. I barely know you, after all. Its rude."

"Not my fault if Goku's little coterie never had any women," Cell replied flippantly. "Speaking of the little legend, where is he? I heard he's back...in a manner of speaking."

"You seem awfully well-informed for someone who spent over a decade in Hell," Sakura observed with no small amount of suspicion. "I doubt they let you just watch your enemies while you're rotting away in whatever dungeon they throw you in down there."

"Let's just say the person who brought me back was," Cell responded, scratching his chin casually as he thought of the right way to word his reply. "Quite observant and thorough. But, that's enough chat," he continued, dropping into a ready stance. "Let's get back to the fight. These new muscles aren't going to warm themselves up, after all."

Sakura, noting the taunting tone of Cell's voice, sped toward the creature, trying to suss out a weak spot in his defenses. A swift punch to the stomach, topped with an explosive ki charge, kicked up a large cloud of smoke. Sakura took a step back, Cell hadn't budged. Realizing this wasn't an opponent to take lightly, she focused hard, and pulled out all her ki at once. A calm, white aura the size of a mountain shot forth from the young woman for a moment, before settling down and fitting around her body, giving her an almost unearthly glow. Not wanting to be upstaged by his surrogate sister, Gohan focused all his power deep within, drawing out the Super Saiyan 3 form he'd spent so much time learning to use with his father.

Cell arched an eyebrow. Gohan was outputting far more ki than he'd expected, even if his eyebrows were missing and his hair was almost comically long. As explosive as his growth was, it wasn't nearly as surprising as the young woman before him. Without even transforming, she'd managed to draw out a titanic amount of power from her body, exceeding Gohan's output by a significant margin. Though it still wasn't enough to truly challenge him, at least they'd proven that they were indeed worthy adversaries. Were it not for Twenty-One's improvements, Cell surmised he'd actually be in trouble, right now. Gohan fired a powerful Kamehameha wave at Cell, the Perfect Being could tell that he'd put all his power into it, something he'd no doubt learned from Vegeta: hit hard, and end the fight as quickly as possible. Cell braced himself, putting his hands forward and catching the ki wave, holding it firmly in place. Holding back so much power was actually causing Cell to use a little of his true power, his muscles were finally starting to wake up. Spreading his arms wide, Cell shattered the attack, leaving Gohan dumbstruck.

Sakura charged Cell again, while his guard was open, pressing the palms of her hands deep into Cell's body at a great many points. When the combination was done, she kicked Cell as hard as she could, sending him flying into the sky. Sakura pulled a great deal of ki into her hand, feeling the scorching heat of her Thermal Lance, even as it escaped the bond of her grip and streaked towards its target, striking true and igniting the numerous pockets of ki she'd placed on Cell's body, causing them to detonate violently. As the smoke cleared, she could hear Cell laughing and her stomach dropped, her technique had been totally ineffective.

"Oh my!" Cell said with a hearty laugh. "You _are_ an inventive one, aren't you? If I were anything other than truly Perfect, your little combination would've easily annihilated me."

"What the hell are you?" Sakura cursed loudly. "Not even Majin Buu was this strong!"

"Like I said, little lady," Cell said smugly. "I'm Perfection itself."

"Really?" a compound voice said from afar, dripping with anger: Vegito. "How about we put that to the test?"

**Author's Notes**

Well, that took forever. I'm awfully sorry about that, but work and school ran me ragged and sapped me of any creative impulses for quite a while. Thankfully, that should all be done, now. I've gotten updates done for three stories! The Bardock Effect should be seeing an update relatively soon, I'm just having a little trouble getting things in the right order in my head, and trying my hardest to _not_ make Future Bardock a pure badass. For those wondering how Ein's plans went along, that will be covered in the chapter after next, which will be another Outtakes Special! Thank you guys so much for sticking with me as long as you have. Hopefully, what I have in store for this story (as well as my others) will be a good enough reward for your immense patience! I've got a story progress tracker up and linked to on my profile that will keep you guys up-to-date with my progress on my various stories as I write 'em! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Eight of _The Prince Ascendant_, The Conquering God! Take care!


	28. The Conquering God

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Conquering God

"Aah," Cell said with relish. "The man of the hour finally deigns to make his appearance!"

"How the hell did you come back?" Vegito demanded angrily. "I'm certain Vegeta killed you a long time ago, and we'd know if someone used Earth's Dragon Balls to bring you back, I doubt the Namekians would let someone use theirs to resurrect you. Explain."

"Giving orders now, are we?" Cell responded with a laugh. "Well, you certainly retained Vegeta's arrogance. Does it really matter _how_ I came back to life? I'm here now, after all."

"You're evading my question," Vegito said testily. "How. Did. You. Come. Back?"

"I don't know all the details," Cell replied honestly with a shrug. "I didn't bother to ask, all I know is that someone called me from this side and brought me over to a new body. Oh, what a body it is, too! Can't you feel the power? Its amazing, is it not?"

"Who?" Vegito asked, eyes narrowed. "The only kind of person who would _want_ you back would be an ally of Dr. Gero, but they all died long before the cyborgs and you showed up, the man himself is dead, and the remaining cyborgs are on our side."

"Ooh, you're close!" Cell said happily. "But, alas, no cigar. The good doctor was many things, but a fool he most certainly was not. Never did anything without at least three backup plans. I should know, my old body, as well as this one, has a nearly-complete set of the good doctor's memories, if not his...personality. I believe his intent was to keep some part of him alive in case he met his demise."

"His own perverse kind of son," Vegito commented, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised? Though, you still didn't answer my original question: who brought you back?"

"How about we make a wager?" Cell replied with a grin. "If you draw first blood, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Fine by me," Vegito replied, closing his eyes remembering his training with Whis.

Remembering the mist, the strange fog that held him in place, Vegito calmed his mind and let his ki flow through his body. Quietly, his divine power throbbed into being, sending ripples into the air around him. Letting it fill him, Vegito's power rose dramatically, and as he opened his eyes, his hair stood up, turning an almost luminescent white as his eyes went silver. His heart calm, Vegito felt his power stabilize naturally, the Super Saiyan transformation had taken far longer than he'd anticipated to master when using his divine ki. Now, however, Vegito stood before Cell, his eyes relaxed and focused.

"Well, this is certainly new," Cell said, mildly surprised. "I don't think I've ever seen a Super Saiyan with white hair before."

"I'm the only one, so far," Vegito replied simply. "I'm no longer a mere Super Saiyan. After I ascended to godhood, I learned to master my new power and to mingle it with my transformation. What you see before you now is a Divine Super Saiyan."

Cell laughed. "You Saiyans, always another trick up your sleeve," he said, a happy growl in his voice. "Good, I was hoping this wouldn't be boring!"

Cell launched a punch towards Vegito, which the Fused Warrior blocked, grim-faced, as the shockwave sent out a thunderous crash, uprooting trees and causing the earth beneath them to buckle. Pushing hard against Cell's fist with his forearm, Vegito gauged the creature's new-found strength. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, by his estimation, this new Cell was stronger than Beerus! Cell grinned, obviously aware of Vegito's surprise.

"No need," Cell began, forcing his whole body forward. "To hold back!"

Vegito was launched backwards, careening through the forest as a shockwave was left in his wake. As Cell sped towards him, Vegito left behind a cloud of shimmering dust and, as Cell flew through it, he clenched his fist.

"Searing Cloud!" Vegito yelled as the dust began to radiate massive amounts of heat, liquefying the ground beneath it and incinerating everything around it, including Cell. For a moment, Vegito thought he'd managed to deal a serious blow to Cell, but as the cloud cleared, beneath the rippling waves of heat as the molten ground cooled to a charred black, the creature stood, arms outstretched, surrounded by a ki barrier, more surprised than wounded.

"Sneaky!" Cell laughed. "It would seem you don't use typical Saiyan tactics..."

"Typical Saiyan tactics got my friends and family killed," Vegito said calmly. "I've since learned to adapt."

"This is going to be a _lot_ more fun than I'd originally anticipated," Cell responded, smiling broadly.

Vegito dodged a swift punch from Cell that left the air blistering hot. Out of the corner of his eye, Vegito saw Whis floating nearby, watching the fight with his now-trademark faint grin. Narrowing his eyes, Vegito let go of his surprise and simply let his power flow. As he did, Cell's movements began to appear an almost normal speed and wispy, ethereal threads were beginning to materialize around his body. There was a great deal of divine ki coming from him, whoever had made his new body had apparently gone through the trouble of updating the creature's...database, as well. However, as he deflected a hard kick to the right side, something seemed off about Cell's ki. Following its flow, it wasn't seated near his stomach like every other living creature Vegito had observed, but was focused on a small portion of the inside of his head, just behind his eyes. Vegito's own eyes widened, this was unnatural, even by Cell's standards. Something was _very_ wrong, here.

Far away, Twenty-One was flying to the scene. His monitors could only show him so much of what his creation could do when put to a real test. Empirical evidence must be gathered. His scanners, retrofitted to pick up the new kind of ki he'd discovered when he finalized Cell's new body, were detecting an awful lot of power being thrown around. Flying to the scene, doing his best to remain hidden, he observed as Vegito and Cell battled. His heart pounded, here was his creation, vast improvement on Dr. Gero's original design, holding his own against the most powerful being he'd ever encountered. That was when a finger tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," a light, almost whimsical voice said as Twenty-One turned around, the shock nearly causing a heart attack. "I couldn't help but notice you watching the fight. What do _you_ think of my pupil?"

"What the-?" Twenty-One stammered. "How'd you get behind me?"

"Wait a sec," Whis said, getting a closer look at the young man. "Aren't you one of young Sakura's friends? What was your name again? Ein?" The last word came out at an unusually high volume. That's when Ein's eyes widened in dawning horror, he'd been had. Sakura was approaching.

"Ein?" Sakura said in amazement. "Since when can you fly? And what are you doing here?"

"He's sweating quite a bit," Whis said lightly. "I get the feeling that he doesn't want to answer. I wonder why that is..."

"Ein..." Sakura said warningly. "What are you hiding from me? Out with it!"

"I could tell her, if you want," Whis said, taking his hand off Ein's shoulder. "I've already read your memories. I'll have to thank Vegito for showing me that one, its quite handy!"

"No!" Ein demanded loudly.

"No?" Whis asked, laughing. "Well, then, tell her yourself. Go on, she's waiting."

"Ein," Sakura said plainly. "What is Whis talking about? What do you have to tell me?"

Twenty-One couldn't answer. Try as he might, he actually had grown somewhat fond of Sakura, even if she was, ultimately, a tool to complete Dr. Gero's ambition. Hanging his head and sighing, he resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him.

"Ein Viginti," he began quietly. "Is just a name I made up. My designation, is Cyborg Twenty-One."

"Cyborg?" Sakura said in disbelief. "Like Seventeen and Eighteen?"

"I was the last of the numbered models," Twenty-One continued. "Before the creation of Cell. Much of my design was used in his creation, that's why you can sense me: I have minimal mechanical implants, I was meant to blend in and, if necessary, infiltrate Goku's ranks and destroy him from within."

"That's not all," Whis said, a very slight, almost imperceptible edge to his voice. "Twenty-One created his new Cell using genes from almost everyone you've all encountered since his first defeat, including updates for Vegeta and Gohan, as well as entries for yourself, Goten, Trunks, Bra, and even Lord Beerus. He's been quite a busy little bee, hasn't he?"

"Why are you doing this?" Twenty-One yelled at Whis.

"Because," Whis said, dropping the act. "I cannot abide liars."

"You," Sakura ground out through the tears of rage and betrayal. "You've been lying to me. This whole time."

"Thing is," Twenty-One said with a sigh. "I'd actually grown fond of yo-"

"Shut up," Sakura said, baring her teeth. "You don't get to speak, not anymore! You lied to me, made me think you cared! You...you made me think that someone cared for me like a...like more than a friend," her eyes practically glowed with fury. "I will never forgive you."

"There's nothing that can be done about it, anymore," Twenty-One replied, running his fingers through his hair. "This is how it had to turn out, I had orders: destroy Son Goku. Even now, that directive is burned into my mind, I won't stop until he's gone."

In a flash, Twenty-One was flat on his ass in a small crater, a throbbing ache in his chest where Sakura had punched him. Looking up, he could tell that she was trying her hardest not to cry, trying to fight her emotions. How stupid he'd been, he'd led the girl on and made her think she could love him. He knew that she outclassed him by leaps and bounds. Either way, his work was done, Cell could destroy Vegito and, no matter what happened next, his job would be done.

As Sakura moved in for the kill, a hand stopped her, grabbing her gently by the collar of her shirt. Looking behind her, she saw Whis, his normal smile gone, replaced by what could only be called a scowl.

"What are you doing," Sakura screamed furiously. "I'll kill the bastard!"

"Now now," Whis said, looking at Twenty-One, his scowl deepening. "I know he's hurt you, but there are far more fitting punishments than death."

"Let me at him, damn it!" Sakura yelled. "I don't care! I'll wring his fucking neck!"

"How about we let him watch," Whis said in a detached voice. "I can imprison him, and he can watch as Vegito destroys everything he ever worked for. Then, if you still want to, you can send him to Hell yourself."

"You actually think," Twenty-One said with a harsh laugh. "That Vegito can beat my new Cell? He doesn't stand a chance! I gave Cell the power of a god, he's even got cells from Beerus himself!"

"You poor, deluded fool," Whis said, shaking his head, as he bound Twenty-One by magic and floated him closer. "You made a critical mistake when you brought Cell back."

"What are you blathering about?" Twenty-One spat. "Cell has Vegito's abilities, too!"

"You only gathered samples from shortly after the battle with Lord Beerus, did you not?" Whis asked.

"How could you possibly know that?" Twenty-One demanded.

"I didn't," Whis said with a cold laugh. "I was bluffing."

"Damn you!"

"I've been training Vegito personally," Whis said, bringing his face close to Twenty-One's. "And, let me be frank, he's stronger than Lord Beerus, now. He's leaps and bounds ahead of where he was when Lord Beerus first fought him."

Sakura couldn't help but stare. She'd never seen this side of Whis before. Normally, he was almost whimsical, asking for different desserts and foods and generally coming across as more of a goof than anything else. But, now, Sakura could see that there was another side to Beerus' attendant. This was what Whis was like when he was angry. To be honest, were it not for the anger still burning inside her, Sakura would be almost frightened. She knew that Whis was to Beerus what the Destroyer was to the rest of them. That Ein had gotten on his bad side showed just how badly he'd fouled up. That's when a realization hit her like a lightning bolt. Whis was angry _on her behalf_. Ein had hurt her in ways he could never understand, Whis knew that, and he was _angry_. Did...did Whis actually like her? She honestly didn't know, he was a hard man to read, but she supposed that, as a daughter in everything but name to one of his students, it made sense for Whis to feel a sense of camaraderie with her.

"I see you've put it together," Whis said to Sakura, knocking the young woman out of her reverie. "Yes, I do see you as a friend, Sakura. I've seen your history, and I know you mean a great deal to Vegito. Someone that would willingly hurt a person like this _thing_ has hurt you makes my blood boil. You deserve better."

Shocked by such a blatant admission, Sakura couldn't help but stare at Whis in mute amazement. Turning to the battle, Vegito appeared to be handling Cell quite well, despite the latter's upgrade to god status. Vegito blocked a hard left hook from Cell and countered with a right of his own, straight to the creature's chest, which landed with a deafening crash. It was clear that Cell was a great deal more powerful than before, but it was also plainly evident that he didn't fully understand how to use his power. As Cell grew more frustrated, his ki began shifting between normal and divine. This was something hammered home to him during his training with Whis: the use of divine ki requires clear, reasoned thought and definite purpose. For all Beerus' arrogance and moodiness, he always had a well-defined role to play when exercising his power, and that allowed him to utilize a great deal of divine ki. It didn't hurt that he had been born a god, as well. Cell, on the other hand, had barely had time to adjust to his new abilities. Once again, he was going in half-cocked against a foe he grossly underestimated, just as he had all those years ago against Gohan.

In a way, it made sense, Cell did have Saiyan blood, after all. Mix that with Frieza's genes and arrogance, and you have a mixture just asking for failure. Gero really had no idea when he'd melded the imprint of so many creatures into Cell's makeup how badly he'd screwed his own plans over. The good doctor had gotten lazy and never gave his "magnum opus" a personality of his own, a way to fight his biological programming and stand a chance of actually learning something. This fight, Vegito realized, had been lost by Cell before it'd even began.

"Take me seriously, damn you!" Cell ground out angrily. "I came back just so I could kill you!"

"No, you didn't," Vegito said plainly. "You came back because Gero left behind another cyborg to finish what he started. I heard everything back there with Whis, Sakura, and the boy I thought was named Ein."

"So, you heard that, huh?" Cell said, straightening up. "Yes, he recreated me and brought me beyond perfection!"

"You know, if he'd have been paying attention," Vegito said loudly so the others could hear. "He would've given you a will of your own, instead of just making you an amalgam of all the people from whom you're made."

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Cell demanded.

"Your mind," Vegito explained. "Its just a mishmash of personalities stolen from various warriors, I'm surprised you're not less stable than you are, mentally speaking. If your creator had been actually _trying_, he'd have given you a distinct personality or let one develop naturally, instead of just slamming all of ours' together and calling it a day."

"I am the amalgamation of the finest warriors in the universe!" Cell protested, raging. "I am perfection reborn and I will destroy you for your insolence!"

"You're welcome to try," Vegito said, preparing for what would likely be Cell's last, desperate attempt to defeat him.

Cell flew into the air, Vegito could feel all his ki raging. As Cell drew his arms back and prepared his Kamehameha, flooded with massive amounts of divine and mortal ki, Vegito left his arms at his sides, letting the power flow into them like monsoon rains into a fast-moving river. It was a technique he'd developed during his training with Whis, using everything he'd learned about divine ki and its manipulation. Vegito made his mind crystal clear, save one overarching driving purpose: the protection of the Earth and its people. His power responded readily, a tidal wave of divine ki began pouring out of him, and into his hands.

"This blast has enough power to reduce this pathetic solar system to nothing!" Cell screamed, throwing his arms forward. "Kamehameha!"

Vegito placed his palms side-by-side, staring into the oncoming blast, yelling, "Supernova!"

When the two ki waves met, it was as if the universe itself was rebelling at the amount of godly power being thrown around. The crash was deafening, and the shockwave sent arcs of electricity everywhere. Nearby, the forest began to distort, at first just visually, as if there were a massive heat wave, but soon, the changes became clearly evident. As the Fused Warrior battled with "Perfection Reborn," reality itself began to break down as the concentration of power in such a small area began to take its toll. Small pockets of black void began to appear, the ground began to shift like waves. For a moment, Whis worried: the problem with gods throwing around their true might was that reality itself couldn't cope with it, on a local level; if it persisted for too long, a hole in the fabric of everything could open, and that would spell devastation on a massive scale. However, the distortions and holes began to waver as Vegito pushed back Cell's attack, slowly at first, but quickly accelerating. Cell tried as hard as he could to reinforce his attack, but it was all for nothing. Soon, he was enveloped, and Cell's body was reduced to nothing. As the ki dissipated, the distortions ceased, the small holes closed.

Vegito saw something glisten in the light, falling from where Cell had been destroyed. Flying over and catching it, he saw a smooth, black gem, almost like a translucent black pearl. Inside the pearl was an unearthly light. Looking closer, his eyes widened, this felt just like Cell! But, that was impossible! Cell's soul had been locked into this gem? The surprise of such magics existing were nothing to what came next, however. Slowly, the gem began to sink into Vegito's hand. The Fused Warrior screamed, clutching at his wrist.

"Your body is mine!" he heard in his mind. "Then, I will be the strongest being in the universe!"

Just as Vegito was considering tearing his own right hand off to stop the painful invasion, he heard the sound of someone closing in on him. Whis appeared next to Vegito and grabbed his arm firmly. Smacking the back of Vegito's right hand, the pain ebbed and the hateful gem dropped a few centimeters before being enveloped in a purple field of magic.

"That was a dirty trick," Vegito spat. "Thanks, Whis."

"I can't very well let my star pupil be possessed, now can I?" Whis said in a friendly tone. "It seems that whatever magic our little friend over there employed to bring Cell back couldn't properly resurrect him, so he settled for the next best thing, treating him like any other powerful spirit and binding him to a gem, then binding that gem to a body. I didn't think this planet had that kind of magic, but I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, humans _are_ an inventive lot."

Whis and Vegito flew to where Ein, outed as Cyborg Twenty-One, was floating, still confined by Whis' magic. He looked angrily at Vegito, who had just destroyed his greatest achievement. Whis floated the gem that still contained Cell's spirit in front of Ein's face and, with a vindictive smile, crushed it into powder with his magic.

"No!" Ein screamed. "All that work! You'll pay for this!"

"Its you who will be paying for your crimes," Vegito said, staring Ein straight in the eyes.

"Please, no!" Ein cried. "It wasn't my fault! I was made this way! I couldn't go against Dr. Gero's orders, even after his death!"

"Bullshit," Sakura said angrily. "Seventeen and Eighteen managed it! I guess whatever "fondness" you felt for me just wasn't strong enough to break through your programming, was it?"

"I can change!" Ein begged. "I'll be good, I promise!"

"How the _hell_ can I, we, trust you?!" Sakura yelled. "You lied to me for _years_! You said you cared, claimed you were my _friend_, fooled me into thinking there could've been something between us! You remade that abomination and set it loose! You knew he'd try to destroy the world, try to kill us all, myself included! You knew all this, and yet, you still went through with it!"

"Now that your planet is safe," Whis said, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder in an attempt to calm the furious woman. "What do you feel we should do with him?"

"I want to kill him," Sakura spat before floating towards Ein, looking him straight in the eyes. "But, that's too kind. Whis, can you imprison him? Somewhere from which he can _never_ escape, not until the universe itself ends."

"If that is what you wish," Whis began, straightening up, looking the world like a judge about to pass a sentence. "Cyborg Twenty-One, alias Ein Viginti, I hereby sentence you to imprisonment in the heart of this galaxy, the galaxy your foul deeds could've doomed. There you will remain, until the end of time."

With that Ein screamed as he disappeared in a flash of brilliant light. Sakura let out a heavy sigh. It was done, the liar was being punished for his crimes. The pain still raw and evident on her face, Vegito scooped up the young woman into a tight hug. Unable to hold back any longer, Sakura sobbed into Vegito's shirt. Ein had no idea how much he'd hurt her with his treachery. Her feelings for the bastard had just begun to develop, she was so close to asking him out. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could be an almost normal person, and he had to go and take that from her. Vegito held on, quietly reassuring Sakura that all would be right, in time, that he would be here. Two other hands were firmly planted on each shoulder, and she could feel that one of them was Gohan, and assumed that the lack of presence in the other was Whis.

Whis felt sorry for the young woman still bawling into the shirt of her adoptive father. When he reached into Ein's mind, he saw how plainly smitten she'd become towards him. The words he'd heard her say, the burgeoning love laced within them...that one would take that and destroy it without a second thought, it offended him on a very basic level. Whis almost wished that she'd asked him to kill Ein, but he realized that the punishment he was given was well beyond mere death. Ein would have a very, _very_ long time to think about what he'd done. In the meantime, Whis knew that Sakura would heal, her friends and family would see to that. More than culinary geniuses, the people of Earth had a way about them that was rare in the universe. While they fought and warred like many other species, there was a kindness in them that had few, if any, rivals. Though he'd never say it, their compassion was one of the reasons he kept coming back to Earth after Beerus' battle with Vegito.

Back on their world, Beerus watched the events unfold through the crystal ball Whis had left lying around. The God of Destruction might not be the most adept with magic, but he knew enough to get such things to show him current events, if not create them himself. Vegito had managed to keep the promise he'd made to protect the Earth, and in a remarkably spectacular fashion, at that. He'd thrown about enough power to rival the Destroyer himself, and Beerus grinned. His new friend was advancing at a phenomenal rate as a god, no doubt due to the adept training of Whis. What's more, even with his immense power, Vegito was still kind to his friends and family, he still very obviously cared deeply about them. Smiling at the thought, Beerus continued to watch as Vegito, Sakura, Gohan, and Whis departed the battlefield for Gohan's house. Apparently, Videl had some announcement she'd wanted to make to her family later that day.

"Vegito," Beerus said quietly, tapping the crystal ball with a finger. "I wonder...what kind of god will you become?"

Back at Gohan's home, the group told Videl and their family and friends that had gathered of what had happened. They were all visibly shocked, not only at the creation of a god-like Cell, but of the base betrayal of Ein, which caused an outpouring of sympathy towards Sakura, something the girl appreciated immensely. After things settled down, Videl sat down in a nearby chair, calming herself for the bombshell she was about to drop on those who'd come, especially her father, who was becoming increasingly worried as the silent seconds passed by.

"Everyone," Videl began, breathing deep to steady her nerves. "I'm...I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Gohan said, both surprised and excited. "When did you find out?"

"Shortly before Lord Beerus and Whis showed up," Videl said, having prepared for this question long in advance. "I wanted to wait to make sure everything was going to be alright with...with the baby. The doctor confirmed, last week, that everything was going just fine."

"Videl!" Mr. Satan said as he fell to his knees, crying in joy. "My little girl, a mother!"

"That's great, Videl!" Chi Chi said happily. "Have you decided on any names?"

"I was thinking," Videl said, tapping her chin with a finger. "If its a boy, I was thinking we'd name him Mark after you, dad," she said, turning to her father. "But, if its a girl, I was thinking of going with Pan."

Mr. Satan put his hands to his eyes, still bawling. "Oh, dear, if only you could see our little girl, now!" he said, torn between sadness and happiness. "You'd be so proud of our daughter!"

Everyone was overjoyed at the announcement. After Mr. Satan had gathered himself back up, he picked up his daughter into a massive bear hug, exclaiming how he was going to be a grandfather. Bulma had offered to throw Videl a shower, to which she agreed with obvious relief, as well as the care of the best doctors Capsule Corp had at their disposal, stating they'd helped massively with both Trunks and Bra when they were born. Gohan was left speechless, overjoyed at the prospect of being a father. All he could do was embrace his wife with a smile so wide, it threatened to split his skull in two.

"Reminds me of when Lord Beerus was born," Whis said quietly.

"You were around when Beerus was born?" Videl asked, amazed.

"Of course!" Whis said with a smile. "His father, Set, was a friend of my student before Lord Beerus."

"Its so weird," Vegito said with a laugh. "Thinking of Beerus as a baby, or even a child, for that matter."

"Lord Beerus would kill me if I went into details," Whis said, laughing. "But, needless to say, he was a very...active child."

Looking at the crystal ball, Beerus growled lightly. "Don't think I didn't hear that, Whis!" he said, poking the crystal ball. "Making my rival imagine me as a baby, you'll pay for that!"

"Well, I'm afraid I must be going," Whis said, looking up. "Lord Beerus is probably awake, by now, and he'll no doubt be demanding his breakfast," he continued with a laugh. "Though, at this point, its probably closer to lunch!"

"Thanks for everything, Whis," Vegito said with a smile. "I owe you one."

"Me, too," Sakura said, surprising Whis with a hug. "You didn't have to do what you did, and I'll never forget it."

"You just keep training to rival Lord Beerus," Whis said to Vegito before turning to Sakura. "And you, just don't let this keep you from moving forward in your life. Remember, there's always someone worth your time and attention."

With that Whis tapped his staff and waved as he disappeared in a column of light. Sakura vowed she'd take Whis' words to heart. She'd never expected the god to be so friendly, let alone helpful, and the fact he was meant that every word he said was to be taken at face value. Perhaps it was Whis' fondness of Vegito that warmed him up to them. Whatever the case, she knew he wasn't wrong. Though the wound was still fresh, Sakura knew that, in time, she'd be able to move on and that she needed to if she ever wanted to become a normal person. Sakura knew she was still young, she was only a little younger than Gohan, and that she had plenty of time ahead of her to find someone to love her like Gohan loved Videl. No matter which way the wind blew, Sakura knew that, for now, it was time to rest and recuperate.

**Author's Notes**

Wooh! Took a bit longer than I'd wanted, but hey, still did it, so hey, good times! Finals week is coming up, so a lot of my time is going to be taken up by studying. Thankfully, that also means little to no homework, so hopefully, that means things will balance in favour of me having just a _little_ bit more writing time than usual. For now, let's answer some reviews!

** Andre**: Yup! I have a link in my profile to a Google spreadsheet that you can use to track my progress. I update it whenever I write, so as soon as I get a section done, you'll see it and know how far along I am in the process! Bonus: its colour-coded for your convenience.

**Anlmoon**: Aye, that was kind of the impetus for this whole story. Vegeta tries so damned hard to surpass Goku, but always ends up getting left in the dust. Part of this is due to his arrogance, but I think a big part of it is also how much he clings to the past. This Vegeta has learned that its the present that matters the most, that he can learn from the past while not being mired in it, thus speeding his progression as a person and a fighter.

**Jack905**: Beerus isn't one that's easily impressed. Goku was stated to be, at his best as a god, around 60% of Beerus' maximum, and actually managed to wear the god out a bit, though whether or not that was to spur Goku along to training even harder, I'm not really sure, but given that Vegito is basically the single most broken character in all of Dragon Ball (with the exception of certain gods and magical wish dragons), it stands to reason that he, as a god, would damn near rival Beerus. Honestly, the only reason he didn't quite win in this fic was because he was inexperienced in utilizing his divine power. As it stands now, Vegito could likely defeat Beerus in a one-on-one fight.

For those wondering about the Divine Super Saiyan transformation...yeah, I changed it from the SSJGSSJ (aka: SSJ Blue) mostly because, and this is just my opinion, I found the transformation to be not as impressive as the status it implied. I mean, this is a Super Saiyan who has access to literally god-like power, which has been _amplified_ by said Super Saiyan state. Just going blue doesn't seem to be all that fitting, which is why I changed it to a white hair/silver eyes palette. Oh, and I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but the Divine Super Saiyan aura is white; think Ultimate Gohan. Well, that's about it for this chapter! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twenty Nine of _The Prince Ascendant_, Vegito's Farewell. Take care!


	29. Vegito's Farewell

**The Prince Ascendant**

Chapter Twenty Nine: Vegito's Farewell

"You're doing quite well, Vegito," Whis said, parrying the Fused Warrior's latest blow. "I almost had trouble catching that one."

"Indeed," Beerus observed, walking up to the duo. "Even I would have a hard time dodging that!"

"I can't take all the credit," Vegito said with a happy laugh. "Whis here is an excellent teacher. I have to thank you two for permitting me to train on your world, its really helped a lot."

"Say, Vegito," Beerus began, stretching his arms. "What do you say to a little one-on-one? I'm curious to see how far you've come as my mentor's second student."

"How about we make it a little more interesting, Lord Beerus?" Vegito offered.

"What did you have in mind?" Beerus asked, eyes narrowed.

"A simple wager," Vegito said with a confident smile. "If you manage to best me, I'll have Bulma give Whis her recipe for one of my favourite desserts and you can have it any time you like. If you fail, you only get the dessert itself, and you two will have to figure out how its made on your own."

"And what kind of dessert are we talking about here?" Beerus asked excitedly.

"You've had cookies before, you've had brownies before," Vegito began, smiling at Beerus' shining, ravenous eyes. "What if I told you there were a way to combine the two? To make...cookie-brownies, if you will."

"Earthlings are culinary geniuses," Beerus stated simply. "Its a deal! I want that recipe!"

"As do I, Lord Beerus," Whis said, smiling. "I can't wait to try it!"

"Well, then," Vegito said with a smile, dropping into a ready stance. "Let's say you and I get this underway, then, Lord Beerus."

"You read my mind," Beerus replied speeding towards Vegito.

This time was massively different from their first encounter. Vegito wasn't working nearly as hard just to keep up with the Destroyer's movements. While he knew, to an outside observer, he and Beerus were trading blows with unfathomable speed, to Vegito, it was as if two normal martial artists were fighting. Almost like when Goku and Krillin would spar as children. It wasn't always easy to Beerus' movements, but Vegito managed to land several blows of his own, each causing the god to lose ground. As the fight continued, the blows landing with increasing ferocity, Vegito's heart began to hammer in his chest. Not even the reborn Cell had been this much fun! Beerus was so unlike Whis, mostly because Vegito could actually _catch_ the God of Destruction and his blows weren't effortlessly blocked or dodged. Beerus threw a kick at Vegito's side, but the Fused Warrior caught it and, using the god's own momentum, threw him hard into the ground. Beerus was barely able to right himself in time to avoid making a crater in the field below.

Beerus smiled. He hadn't had this much fun in eons! Vegito, prodigy that he was, wasn't just landing blows against him, one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but he was actually capable of _damaging_ him! It wasn't too long ago that this Vegito was just a particularly gifted mortal, still barely able to stand up to him, even at his peak. But now, this warrior, empowered to godhood, had grown massively in divine power enough that he could even rival him! It was incredible just how easily this warrior had taken to his new-found abilities. Beerus could see that he needed to work on his control, especially when he got excited, but his power was phenomenal.

"Amazing," Beerus said as they fought. "Simply amazing. To think, not too long ago, you could barely stand up to me, let alone actually harm me!"

"I can actually follow your movements now, Lord Beerus," Vegito said, dodging a right jab from the Destroyer. "You still catch me, but you're not all but impossible to follow, anymore. Won't lie, I'm starting to have fun with this."

"Likewise," Beerus replied, catching one of Vegito's blows and putting him into a wrist lock. "However, I see a flaw in your form."

"What's that?"

"You're overconfident," Beerus said with a nod. "Try as you might, it seems your power has gotten to your head, at least a little, and that overconfidence causes your focus to waver and you end up dropping your guard. Your power may have won you an overwhelming victory against that Cell creature, but against one such as me, you'll need to keep your head in the game if you want to live."

"Can you blame me?" Vegito responded, breaking the hold. "I'm a literal god, now. I'm the strongest Saiyan to ever exist, aside from you and Whis, I eclipse almost every being in the universe. Even Majin Buu wouldn't be a challenge for me, anymore. Not that he was to begin with."

"Vegito," Beerus began seriously. "You should know that there are things hidden in this universe that surpass even me."

"Lord Beerus," Whis warned from below. "There are some things not even you are allowed to reveal, even to another god."

"I'm aware of that, Whis," Beerus said back. "I won't name names or anything like that, but our friend here should know that there may be dangers in this universe that, unless he takes his fights more seriously, could put him and his little friends in serious jeopardy. I may be the Destroyer," he said, sighing a little. "But there are some calamities even I wouldn't visit upon this universe."

"There are beings even you fear, Lord Beerus?" Vegito asked, moderately astonished.

"Don't be thick," Beerus replied, though not unkindly. "Of course there are, and not all because they're uncontrollably evil. For example, the Creator, the one who formed the first universes and set the laws in motion that govern how new universes are formed and how things operate on the grandest possible scale. He is one of whom anyone with half a brain would have at least _some_ fear."

"I suppose that makes sense," Vegito replied, nodding. "Given how many universes there are out there, and how big this one is, I suppose its reasonable to assume there's always someone out there that can beat you."

"Precisely," Beerus responded. "And not all of them are as friendly as yours truly. Some are, in fact, quite unscrupulous. Manipulative, vain, or even outright malignant. Not all gods are good, you would do well to remember that."

"I will, Lord Beerus," Vegito said, nodding respectfully.

"Moving along," Whis said, clearing his throat. "How are you feeling today, Vegito?"

Vegito knew very well what he meant. The time of his dissolution was fast approaching. He'd ranted and raved and railed and sobbed until he was hollow inside after his defeat of the reborn Cell. It felt good, in a way, to let it all out. It was like allowing an infected wound to drain, and now that it had been, he was able to clean and dress it properly. It didn't hurt that Whis was an excellent listener and his family had been there to help him along, insisting that this decision wasn't one they'd force upon him.

"Honestly," Vegito began, sitting down on the ground. "I'd be lying if I said I weren't at least a little anxious. I mean, in a few weeks, I won't exist, anymore. At least, if I were dying, I'd be able to continue existing in the afterlife, but I'm effectively being erased. I accept that its for the best, but that doesn't stop the concept from freaking me out."

"I believe," Whis began, sitting in front of his student. "That your primary issue is that you're only seeing this from one perspective: your own. From that one point of view, you are certainly going into oblivion, but that isn't true for anyone else. Take Lord Beerus and I, for example," he continued, nodding towards an attentive Destroyer. "He and I will never forget the unique life you've lived. Who you are and what you did will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone whose lives you've touched. After all, you've saved this whole universe twice, now, as it was likely that Cell wouldn't have stopped with just Earth, not from what you've told us about him."

"Exactly," Beerus added. "Think of it like when normal people die in your world. Most are completely unaware of the world beyond. For all intents and purposes, their loved ones are gone. Yet, they live on in their memories. While you, yourself, may cease to be, you will always live on in those who hold you closest. I know that I, personally, will never forget you."

"I guess, when you put it that way," Vegito said, lowering his head and narrowing his eyes, rolling the idea around in his mind. "Its a lot like a transformation. I'm turning into a being of pure memory from one that's physical. Besides, Old Kai has told me that at least part of me will continue to live on in Vegeta and Goku, since they'll retain all the memories of their time as me. Maybe I'm not dying so much as I am turning back into the two that made me in the first place, giving each of them a part of my power and everything I know, like a master to a student."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable, don't you think, Whis?" Beerus stated.

"Indeed, Lord Beerus," Whis replied, nodding. "I'd say your outlook is certainly a healthy one, Vegito. You've learned to accept the path you've chosen, and that's a good thing. While I know I'll certainly miss your...unique outlook on life, I'm gladdened by the fact you've reached this place."

"Well," Vegito said, getting up. "I think I'd better head home and make sure Bra doesn't have Trunks in a headlock again."

Whis smiled and nodded, saying, "Farewell, Vegito."

Vegito smiled back and waved as he used Instant Transmission to teleport back home. He'd been learning, slowly, how to target familiar locations instead of just ki sources. It was hard work, but it would no doubt prove useful in the future, if for no other reason than he would run the risk of waking either of his wives up when he came home in the middle of the night. They were never angry, but they did make it known that they were more than a little put out when that happened, even if they knew that telling time in Beerus' domain was all but impossible. Unfortunately, while he did manage to make it into the kitchen, he was greeted by a sight that made him red as a beet: Bra was standing next to Goten, lips placed firmly on the blushing boy's cheek.

Turning towards the wooshing sound, Bra gasped, crying, "Dad!"

Goten looked very much like he wanted to sink into the floor. Vegito felt much the same way.

"I saw nothing," Vegito said quietly, backing away. "I did not just see you kissing Goten's cheek and I will tell no one of what just did not happen and nobody will mention this again, agreed?"

Goten nodded weakly as Vegito walked out of the room. Vegito knew that Bra and Goten got along rather well together, but the expression he saw on his daughter's face for the fraction of a second before the sound of Instant Transmission registered in her mind was rather affectionate. Did she really have a thing for him? Weren't they a bit young? Bra was just a month away from being eleven and a half, and Goten only a few months beyond her.

"Even more to the point," Vegito whispered to himself in an empty room. "Isn't it just a little bit weird? I mean, I'm both their father...or half-father, or something like that. They were friends before I came along, but oh what the hell's going on? I think I'm getting a migraine!"

"So," Bulma began, propping herself in the doorway, giving Vegito a smug grin. "You finally put two and two together, huh?"

"You knew?!" Vegito replied, alarmed.

"I suspected," Bulma said with a laugh before sitting next to her husband. "I mean, our little girl _is_ growing up and her and Goten have been friends almost since the day they first met."

"Isn't this all a little fast, though?" Vegito asked, pleading. "I mean, she was kissing him! Sure, it was on the cheek, but it wasn't some meaningless thing, either!"

"Goku's cluelessness and Vegeta's awkwardness," Bulma observed. "I think you're reading way too much into it. When I was her age, I was _just_ starting to notice boys, and while I might have been a little affectionate with one or two of them, I was never really _in love_ with them, either. I think its the same way with our daughter. After all, like I said, Goten's one of the only boys that hasn't given her any problems over being such a tomboy. Its only natural that she'd like him."

"Yeah, but this is still weird," Vegito stated. "I mean, given that I'm here and I'm their father...thing, shouldn't that make it really awkward?"

"I think, the way they see it," Bulma began, placing a hand on her chin. "They're still from two different families, even if you're technically their father. If they'd been conceived after you came around, then they'd be siblings and, yes, they'd probably have not done that and, if they did, we'd have to have a very, _very_ serious talk with them. But, as it is, they're technically not siblings, just that their fathers are all rolled up into one."

"For the next month," Vegito added before sighing. "I guess you're right, though. Its going to be _really_ awkward with the two of them for a while, though."

"You got that right," Bulma replied, laughing. "When my dad accidentally caught me and Yamcha, back when we were together, he could barely pour his coffee around me for nearly a fortnight, he was shaking so much. Actually," Bulma continued, a thought dawning on her. "It was around the end of that time when Yamcha started acting more gentlemanly towards me. Dad probably threatened to castrate him if he hurt me."

"You know, now that I think about it," Vegito began, smiling. "I seem to recall him doing the same to Vegeta. Said he didn't care if he could blow up the planet, that if he didn't do right by you, Vegeta would wake up in six different capsules tethered to the ocean floor. I see where you got your ferocity from, now."

"Yeah," Bulma said happily. "Dad might not always look it, but he can get scary when it comes to me. Being his only daughter, it makes sense. That, and nobody would suspect the kindly Dr. Briefs if someone disappeared."

"That's...actually kind of frightening," Vegito said with a shiver. "I'm glad he's one of the good guys, then."

"Honestly," Bulma replied, laughing. "I doubt dad could pull himself away from the lab long enough to actually get the job done! But, it _is_ kind of scary just how much he can get away with. I mean, we can summon an Eternal Dragon in the middle of the city, and everyone would chalk it up to one of his 'crazy experiments.'"

"It kind of makes sense, I guess," Vegito said with a shrug. "The guy _did_ invent some of the most impressive technology I've ever seen on this side of the galaxy."

Bulma laughed and Vegito smiled. He'd made an agreement with Whis to spend his last few weeks on Earth with his family, instead of training. Beerus was disappointed when he overheard them discussing it, but even the Destroyer understood the Fused Warrior's reasons. At the end of the day, it was Vegito's choice to spend his time as he saw fit.

A few uneventful days passed, Bulma and Chi Chi were both happy to have their collective husband around more often. Sakura was finally recovered from the revelation of Ein, and had to fast-talk her friends into thinking he'd moved away for work, or so she said. Either way, she still had her circle of friends and spent plenty of time with them, something for which Vegito was glad. For a while, he was worried that Sakura would withdraw socially and end up isolating herself and alienating her friends. He shouldn't have worried, his adopted daughter was a lot stronger than he thought. As for his other children...

"Dad," Goten said, landing as Vegito finished off a sandwich on top of the Son house. "I...I need to talk to you about something."

"Go ahead, son," Vegito began, stretching his arms. "What's up?"

"Uhm," Goten began, pressing his fingers together. "What..." Goten gulped, the tension in his voice was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. "What do you know about...about girls?"

"This is about Bra, isn't it?" Vegito asked, sighing lightly.

Goten surrendered to the inevitable, saying, "Yeah."

"Goten," Vegito started, looking at his son, trying to reassure him. "I'll give it to you straight. I'm not going to dictate your relationships, I trust you to do the right thing. I'm not about to chase you away from Bra just because any feelings you two might share are a bit strange _for me_. That wouldn't be fair to either one of you."

"But, I mean," Goten replied, somewhat encouraged by his father's words. "I've known her all my life. She's always been a really good friend, but I don't know if I like her _that_ way or what's happening and I don't really understand what's going on and I see Gohan and Videl and I kind of envy them and their relationship and I really just don't understand what's happening in my life, anymore."

"Slow down," Vegito responded with a small laugh. "Goten, you're starting a really, really big chapter in your life," Vegito continued, his tone becoming more direct, but no less kind. "You're going to start developing feelings for girls, its only natural. Its overwhelming, I know, but that's normal. At least you've got a good home life and a proper outlet for all these new emotions cropping up in you. At your age, Goku barely even knew what a girl _looked like_ and Vegeta's pent-up hormones caused him to blow up planets at the slightest provocation."

"What do I do?" Goten despaired.

"Take it easy, son," Vegito replied, clapping Goten on the shoulder. "You don't have to figure out all of the answers right away. If you keep letting yourself get all wound-up over everything, you're going to drive yourself crazy. Learn to _relax_, give yourself time and space to figure things out at your own pace. I know its weird and confusing now, but part of becoming a man is knowing how to deal with these things appropriately. I might not have the _best_ perspective for such things, but your mother and I are both here to help you along, never forget that. I'm sure Gohan would be more than happy to lend a hand, as well."

"Are you sure?" Goten asked, his voice having a less hopeless tone than it had a moment ago. "I mean, Gohan's gonna be a dad, soon, do you really think he's gonna have time for me and my problems?"

"Goten," Vegito said, shaking his head in amusement. "He's your brother. He will _always_ find time for you."

"I guess you're right," Goten said with a heaving sigh. "I just wish it weren't so much, so suddenly."

"You think you have it rough," Vegito replied with a wry laugh. "Try imagining how it is for Bra. Mother Nature's already starting to kick her ass. Its just one of those wonderful parts of biology that never quite seem to make sense, but about which we can do very little."

Goten turned green, and Vegito didn't blame him. Hearing his daughter crying, and knowing the cause, was a very unsettling revelation that his little girl was growing up. Inside, he laughed. It seemed like only yesterday she was his Little Princess who barely came up to his knees and always feuded with her brother. He still had fond memories from Vegeta, holding her as a newborn.

"You know," Vegito began, looking up at the sky. "It doesn't feel like all that long ago, you guys were barely up to my waist. Trunks and Bra were always butting heads, Trunks always badgering her for being a girl who liked to fight. You, always trying to be the arbiter of peace between them. And now," he continued fondly, looking down at his son. "Look at you! You've grown a _lot_ since then. By the time you reach Gohan's age, you'll probably be taller than me! I know I don't say this a lot, but I'm proud of you, son. You're gonna grow into an incredible man."

"Thanks, dad," Goten replied, smiling. "I wonder why Trunks stopped picking on Bra, though. Seems like they're almost friends, now."

"That's because," Vegito responded, grinning. "Trunks is too busy being distracted by girls that _aren't_ his sister. Oh, he tries to hide it, but every once in a while, I catch him staring at the older girls around the city when we go out...and at some of the young, female employees at Capsule Corp, come to think of it..."

"That _would_ explain a few things," Goten observed, narrowing his eyes a bit. "I've been wondering why he invites me out to the mall every couple of weeks and barely buys anything."

"That sly dog," Vegito said, letting out a hearty laugh. "The madness of adolescence has hit him like a tonne of bricks, I guess."

"I hope I don't end up like that," Goten said seriously. "I don't know _how_ he handles it. It sounds so...distracting."

"Somehow," Vegito said, smirking. "I doubt you'll end up _that_ bad, but don't be surprised if you catch yourself checking out girls a little more than you used to. Just don't end up like Master Roshi, and I think you'll be fine."

"I'll certainly try," Goten said with a laugh. "Thanks for talking with me, dad, its helped a lot. I still don't quite understand what's going on, but...I think I can figure it out with you guys' help."

"Hey," Vegito said, standing up. "That's what family's for!"

After the initial awkwardness of being caught out passed, Bra pretty much never mentioned what'd happened or questioned what may or may not be happening between her and Goten. One of the few times Vegito actually approached his daughter about the subject, she seemed quite firm that this was what she wanted, that she liked spending time with Goten, but didn't know precisely what that meant, but emphasized that she'd figure it out on her own. While Vegito was taken a bit aback at that last part, Bulma just chuckled. According to his wife, Bra seemed to have fully inherited her mother's stubborn independent streak. When he actually thought about it, he could see a lot more of Bulma in their daughter than he'd initially realized. Though it was hard to spot when she was younger, Vegito could now easily see that his little girl had his wife's looks in almost every category except for her well-toned build and her eyes, which were all Vegeta.

A few weeks later, Vegito was sitting in the gravity chamber, watching his daughter spar with Sakura. It was impressive, how much power Bra could eke out of the normal Super Saiyan state. Though he knew Sakura could easily best his daughter if she wanted to, he could tell the young woman was more than happy to train the girl who'd basically become her little sister.

"Come on," Sakura said, her voice lightly teasing her opponent. "That can't be all you've got! Surely, you can hit harder than that!"

Bra let out a small laugh that caused Vegito's head to shoot up. That laugh never meant anything good for her opponent, because that was her "I have a trump card that I've never shown anyone until now" laugh.

"I'll show you just how hard I can hit!" Bra said as her aura flared out and electricity arced between her and the older girl.

Vegito's jaw hit the floor. Bra had never shown _him_ that she could transform beyond a Super Saiyan! He almost wanted to scold her for holding back, but that was small potatoes compared to what came next. Bra's power continued to rise, much to the shock of both Sakura and her father.

"No," Vegito said quietly to himself as Bra's hair began to lengthen.

The ground started to shake, exercise equipment fell over and from the entrance, Bulma appeared, looking at her husband, clearly alarmed at the earthquake that was rocking the area. When she looked on her daughter, Bulma pointed and her face went slack.

"She's..." Bulma began, shock getting the better of her as her daughter's aura tripled in size. "Vegito! She's...!"

"She's doing it," Vegito said excitedly. "Our little girl is actually doing it!"

Bra's aura stabilized and the blinding light subsided. Vegito's little girl was smirking victoriously, not that she hadn't earned it. Gohan was the only one of his children that had achieved the form without the help of fusion and here his daughter was, barely an adolescent, and standing ready to truly fight her opponent as a Super Saiyan 3.

"How about..." Sakura said hesitantly, still taken by complete surprise at this turn of events. "How about we go somewhere else to do this, so we don't break everything Dr. Briefs and Bulma built...again?"

"I know a place!" Vegito said, hopping up. "I don't think Beerus would mind seeing this bout of yours."

"I have to see this," Bulma commented.

A few moments later, the party was standing in the field where Vegito and Whis often trained. Whis and Beerus were munching on popcorn as Vegito stood, observing his little girl as she beckoned Sakura towards her. Both Whis and Beerus had been quite receptive of the idea of watching this bout and didn't mind the sudden intrusion in the slightest. Sakura was powered up to her maximum, but Bra was still going to prove a tough opponent for her to overpower. One thing the young woman had on her side was time; she knew, from the experiences of those who'd achieved the form, that one couldn't stay in it forever, and it quickly drained one's stamina.

Sakura charged Bra, the younger girl dodging the first blow with ease, grinning widely as she threw a punch to the side which Sakura just managed to deflect. Bringing her leg up, Sakura kicked Bra in the side, sending her backwards. For her part, Bra's feet managed to stay firmly planted on the ground, kicking up a massive mount of dirt as she skidded backwards. Electricity arced from Bra as she charged forwards, preparing a blast in her left hand. As Sakura moved to block it, Bra disappeared. Unfortunately, Sakura swung her fist around, colliding with the younger girl's head as she appeared behind her, sending Bra flying once more. However, Sakura didn't notice, until it was too late, that a ki bomb had been left on her arm, which promptly exploded in her face.

"I had no idea your daughter was this powerful," Beerus said as the battle heated up even further as volleys of blasts began issuing forth from both fighters. "For a mortal so young, she's really rather impressive."

"This is new to me, too," Vegito replied, unable to hide his pride in his daughter's abilities. "She'd never used anything beyond the normal Super Saiyan state around me."

"She did use that beefed-up Super Saiyan state against Trunks in the tournament," Bulma added before laughing. "I still remember how surprised Trunks looked when she showed it off, too."

"Man, Trunks isn't going to be happy, knowing his sister is stronger than he is," Vegito observed, mildly alarmed.

"I don't think we'll have to worry," Bulma said with a mischievous wink. "A few years ago, Bra asked if I could somehow hide the ki signals from inside the training room. I did manage to find a way, and installed it."

"But," Vegito said, screwing up his face in confusion. "I've felt ki signals coming from the training room before..."

"That's because you can toggle it, silly!" Bulma chided her husband. "Bra could hide her more extravagant powers from a certain, potentially curious brother of her's, but also not have a suspicious lack of presence in the gravity chamber."

"Damn, our daughter's more devious than I thought," Vegito observed. "I'm actually kind of impressed."

"Bra's always wanted a one-up on her brother," Bulma said, smiling. "Looks like she's finally got it."

At that moment, Bra dropped out of her Super Saiyan 3 state, into an ascended Super Saiyan, breathing heavily. Sakura managed to stop her attack just in time; the amount of power in it could've seriously hurt Bra in this state. That's when Bra looked up at her and, straightening up, powered up again, her muscles expanding beyond normal. Vegito actually let out a bark of laughter, not even Vegeta had managed to do that as a Super Saiyan 2. Though the power output wasn't anywhere near what one could get out of Super Saiyan 3, Vegito noticed a rather marked power increase from his daughter.

"You want to keep going?" Sakura asked, actually breathing heavily as she wiped some sweat from her forehead.

"As long as I can fi-" Bra began before she reverted to normal, falling to the ground as she passed out.

"Is she okay?" Bulma asked, somewhat concerned.

"She's fine," Vegito assured his wife. "I don't think she's used Super Saiyan 3 often, if at all. She wore herself out, but thought she could keep going in a boosted, but lower state. Alas," Vegito added with a chuckle. "It doesn't _quite_ work that way."

"Still," Whis added. "Its quite impressive that one so young can even achieve that form, let alone use it in actual combat."

"Considering she trains three to five times a week," Vegito began as Sakura brought his sleeping daughter over. "It makes sense, but I'm surprised that she's managed to get so far. Goten and Trunks might be able to go past Super Saiyan, but the level of skill she's just shown is well beyond that."

"I wanted to show you, daddy," Bra said weakly as Sakura laid her down in front of her father. "One day, I want to be a powerful god, like you."

"You'll get there," Vegito said gently. "I'll make you a deal, if you can get strong enough to maintain Super Saiyan 3 for at least twenty minutes, I'll see if we can't gather together and grant your wish."

"Challenge," Bra said, barely holding on to consciousness. "Accepted." A moment later, she was fast asleep once more, the toll of Super Saiyan 3 finally taking full hold.

"She's quite spirited, isn't she?" Beerus observed with a grin.

"Definitely takes after her mother," Vegito answered fondly. "I don't think Bulma ever backed down from a challenge, as long as either Goku or Vegeta have known her. Sure, she got scared like most people would during all those crazy adventures she had as a kid, but she always kept going," Vegito sniffed, grinning slightly. "Hell of a going away present, don't you think?"

"It was most certainly quite entertaining," Whis said, nodding in agreement. "I'm surprised she had that kind of power in her, much less knew how to use it."

"Held on to it for about five minutes," Sakura noted. "That's longer than Vegeta did when he first transformed, I think."

Vegito laughed. "I think you're right," he said jovially, before gathering his family. "Well, I'll...be seeing you guys. Its been...its been an amazing ride."

"Likewise," Beerus said, shaking Vegito's hand.

"I'll always remember you," Whis said wistfully.

Vegito nodded farewell to his two friends as the rest of the party were taken, via Instant Transmission, to the Lookout. If the Dragon Balls weren't ready, by now, they would be in short order. They arrived just as Supreme Kai, Elder Kai, and Dende were walking out with the Dragon Balls on a small, lavender pillow. The mystic orbs were glowing with a warm, but strangely different light. A few moments later, the rest of Vegito's family and friends had arrived, Korin quietly gave Bra a Senzu bean to revive the girl as everyone gathered round for what was about to happen.

"Well," Gohan said first in a somber tone. "I guess this is it."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Chi Chi said, grabbing on to Vegito's arm.

"I can't deprive you of your husbands for any longer than I have," Vegito said firmly, but gently. "Besides, I'll still be around. Everything that made me was in them, and everything I am will still be there, just in two bodies instead of one."

"That's quite the healthy attitude to have, youngster," Elder Kai said as the Dragon Balls were laid down on the ground. "I'm glad you're at peace with this, either way. And, before you go," Elder Kai added before bowing. "May I say, it has been an honour working with you these past few years."

"You flatter me, Elder Kai," Vegito said with a small laugh. "Its been an honour working with you, as well. Well, Dende," he continued, turning toward the young Namek. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Okay," Dende said with a nod. "Shenron will only have enough power to grant the one wish, then he'll need to go back to sleep for another year before he'll be ready to go back to normal."

"I think we'll be fine with just the one," Vegito replied.

"Alright, then," Dende responded before clearing his throat. "Eternal Dragon! Hear me, answer my call and grant my desire! In your name I summon you, Shenron!"

A blinding light flared from the Dragon Balls as the sky turned black and, a few moments later, the sinuous form of Shenron, Earth's Eternal Dragon, appeared from the haze.

"State your wish," Shenron said in a booming voice.

"Shenron," Vegito said after a moment to collect himself. "I ask that you undo the magic that created me and separate me back into Vegeta and Goku."

"It shall be done," Shenron replied as his eyes glowed. "Your wish has been granted, farewell!"

As the Dragon Balls scattered across the globe, a white light encompassed Vegito and everyone held on to one another. Electricity began to arc and pop as waves of magic began rippling through the air. The ground began to shake as the brilliant silhouette of Vegito began to separate slowly. The outline of the silhouette began to take on a red tinge as the ground began to buckle, the forms of Vegeta and Goku finally making themselves visible. A few moments later, the shaking died down and the light faded. Where once Vegito stood, Goku and Vegeta were now standing, opening their eyes for the first time in five years.

"Goku!" Chi Chi said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Its really...its really you! You're alive!"

"Oh Vegeta..." Bulma said as she embraced her husband.

"Hey, guys!" Goku said, smiling broadly. "Its good to see you all again! Especially you, Chi Chi. I've missed you so much."

Vegeta couldn't trust his words and instead opted for pulling Bulma tightly. The years he'd spent as Vegito, the time he'd been dead, fearing he'd never see her again, it was all like a dream, and he'd finally woken up. There was nothing he wouldn't do for this woman, no sacrifice was too great, not even his own life. In that moment, in that peaceful, wonderful moment, Vegeta was well and truly happy.

"Daddy!" Bra and Trunks said simultaneously as they bounded up to their father, each hugging one of his sides.

Looking over, Goku's children were doing much the same, and he was also marveling at the fact that he was a grandfather, fawning over Pan as Videl held on to her, still somewhat tired from the ordeal of having her first child.

"Well," Vegeta heard a familiar voice say off to the side. "That was certainly a rather impressive light show."

"Ssh," he heard another voice say in an admonishing tone. "Be quiet, Lord Beerus, you're interrupting a very touching moment. Don't spoil it for them with your unnecessary commentary."

"Oh, hey, Beerus and Whis!" Goku said, happily surprised. "When did you guys get here?"

"About the time the dragon disappeared," Beerus replied smugly. "But, Whis is right. Don't let us interrupt you. I'm certain you all have to make up for quite a bit of lost time."

"Oh my!" Whis said, floating over towards Videl. "Is that your child? I must say, she looks positively adorable! What's her name?"

"Gohan and I decided on Pan," Videl answered, smiling. "It was my mother's middle name."

"You say _we_ decided on it," Gohan said, laughing. "It was _your_ dad that suggested it in the first place."

"Speaking of Mr. Satan," Krillin began, quirking an eyebrow. "Where is he? I figured he'd have wanted to be here to see Vegito off. I mean, he _was_ his daughter's father-in-law."

"Dad's actually spending time training," Videl replied with a chuckle. "I think he said something about 'showing up all those crazy monsters next time the World Tournament rolls around.'"

"Hmph," Vegeta scoffed, deciding now was as good a time as any to speak up. "Mr. Satan actually deciding to do something other than stroke his massive ego? Will wonders ever cease?"

"Working with Sakura's really mellowed dad out a lot," Videl said, a smile tugging at her lips once more. "I think he respects her a lot more than he might let on. It doesn't hurt that Sakura's got the patience of a saint."

"You know," Sakura said in mock indignation. "Its rude to talk about someone when they're standing right next to you."

"And I say it might have been a mistake to teach my dad how to use ki," Videl shot back with a laugh. "Though, he _has_ helped keep the crime rate down. Few people wanted to mess with him even before he could fly faster than a race car."

"I'll never forget," Sakura began between laughs. "When he first figured it out and accidentally went headlong into his own exercise equipment. I swear, that knot on his head had to have been the size of a baseball! It took us a whole month before he'd even _try_ to fly again."

"You know," Videl said, putting a free hand around Sakura's shoulder. "I never did thank you for training with my dad. I haven't seen him this focused, or this happy, since before mom passed away."

"Hey, any time," Sakura said happily. "Besides, he's not a bad guy, behind all the bluster and ridiculous hair."

A few precious minutes passed after that where the large group simply reminisced and shared the happy moments they'd had over the years. Vegeta found himself envying Vegito, even just a little, for all the time he'd had to watch his children grow up. He had all the memories, and no doubt Kakarot did, as well, but he could tell that his presence had been missed greatly. The idea buoyed his spirits, that he'd made enough of an impact on everyone, not just his family, that they'd actually missed him, even if he could be more gruff and standoffish than Piccolo. Even after they'd returned home, the group going their separate ways as Kakarot and his family went to their home and Vegeta and his family to theirs, Vegeta couldn't help but relish the opportunity that had been given to him. He was alive again and, more than that, he'd inherited a share of Vegito's power, including his...status. Clenching his fists slightly, Vegeta could feel the divine ki coursing through him. It chagrined him somewhat that he hadn't achieved the power himself, but when put in the right perspective, he realized that there was a very good argument for him actually having at least partially achieved it via Vegito. After all, Vegito was half him, had half his personality and all of his power. Though he'd been liberally mingled with Kakarot's personality and power, Vegeta had contributed his fair share to their...conglomerate, as well. Either way, the power of a god was his to command and Whis had extended the offer of training he'd given Vegito, even if he could tell Beerus was somewhat skeptical of the arrangement.

The night passed...eventfully, for the Prince of All Saiyans. His wife had been quite happy to see him, a fact she'd made _extremely_ plain after the kids had been put to bed. He didn't mind the attention one bit and, indeed, he had much for which to make up. So much time lost, so many days he'd been gone, so many events he'd missed. At least the time before him, for now, seemed peaceful and calm. He could train and spend time with his family, mostly the latter for the first few months. Trunks had been very adamant that he owed him five years' worth of birthday presents and Vegeta wasn't going to argue with the boy, he was starting to grow as tall as his future counterpart had been. Squinting his eyes, Vegeta wondered what his son from the future was doing. Was he still rebuilding? Most likely. Had he found a young woman of his own? Maybe even started a family...he almost wished his Bulma had tried her hand at making a time machine, as the curiosity was eating at him, albeit very slowly.

Bra was growing very...fierce, as Vegeta could see. She trained almost every day and, what's more, did every bit of schoolwork that'd come her way. Vegeta honestly didn't know _how_ the girl was managing to keep pushing herself that hard and keep her grades as good as they were. For all the activity, she never seemed to show any signs of wariness or fatigue. She wasn't becoming a more typical adolescent like her brother, either. Indeed, she was becoming the epitome of the tomboy; her hair was almost always cropped somewhat short, never growing past her shoulders, and she had long since dispensed with the dresses and skirts for more flexible attire. Vegeta had even seen her in clothes oddly reminiscent of his own gi. While it looked fine on a man, the material was made to be much like a second skin, a fact many boys in town had noticed, to Vegeta's amusement. He knew he didn't need to worry about his daughter; that if any boy were to dare try and take advantage of her, then she'd put him through a brick wall for his trouble.

Sitting back on the couch after a hard day's training, Vegeta sighed. His life was back on track and back in order. So many things had been lost in the shuffle between the death of Cell and now. Images of Broly's second arrival, the battle with Arctic, with Bojack's gang, and with Babidi's henchmen and Buu flitted through his mind. Desperation, struggles, victories, defeats, discoveries...these years had been extremely hectic, to say the least. Now, he was a student of an entity beyond even the gods themselves. More than that, however, he was a father free to raise his children in peace. He hoped that, this time, the peace would be more than fleeting, lasting more than a handful of months before a new threat reared its head. He would protect his home, of course, but he yearned for peace. He wanted to seek power, not because of a desperate need to keep up with Kakarot or whatever threat was looming, but simply for the pleasure of attaining it.

Far away, a robed figure stood on a great stone dais, a large crystal ball held in his hands. Around him, six obsidian pillars rose into the sky, glowing runes carved into them. A red sky blanketed by black clouds began to stir as deep, throaty rumbles of thunder began rippling through the air. The crystal ball in the figure's hands glowed and the mouth of the figure, barely visible beneath the hood, stretched into a cruel smile. Within the confines of the crystalline orb was an image of a lonely, blue planet, like a beautiful sapphire. Around the planet, wisps of purple and black energy waved about in odd patterns.

"Finally," the figure said in a hoarse, gravelly voice. "I've found the first of you. Be patient, my Lord, you only have a few more years before you are finally free from your prison and you can begin your grand work," turning around, the crystal ball disappeared as the figure raised his thin, almost skeletal arms to the churning skies above. "Let all creation tremble, let the gods themselves once again know fear! On onyx wings, I shall ride, the harbinger of the apocalypse! Let death spare none! Let creation's end begin..._with Earth_!"

With that, a pair of black, spectral wings enveloped the figure and a cloud of billowing smoke rose up into the sky of the desolate world.

**Author's Notes**

Well, that took a while. German really kicked my ass, this time, but I managed a good grade, so it was all worth it! Now, I've only got one class to worry about, and only for, like, two weeks until this whole shite semester is done! Seriously, fuck summer classes. Yes, we're going to have a few chapters before the next arc begins, but bear with me. Why? Because the next arc is going to not only be more coherent, but I have great things in store for it. It has taken a _lot_ of planning and refining to get something that sounds good in my head, but this is something I've had in my head since around the time of the World Tournament chapters. Let's answer some reviews, shall we?

**Jack905**: You can thank Vegeta for that. He's learned to be a _lot_ more serious with threats, his cockiness literally and metaphorically got beaten out of him, and Gohan helped heal his mind much like how he did Piccolo.

**Ashe**: Only barely: had Bra not used the buff SSJ form, Trunks likely would've worn her down. Alas, Trunks wasn't counting on his kid sister taking a leaf out of daddy's book.

**Apexawesome**: Hm...as far as power, I'd say he's around there, perhaps. Though, its kind of hard to gauge, given that god ki seems to scale exponentially, whereas mortal ki scales either linearly or, at best, geometrically. I might also look into what the multiverse has to offer, I don't want to leave it be a completely hanging plot thread, but I _really_ need to plan my arcs better than I have been. Kinda been winging it with this story, and its suffered for it. As for Arctic, he is Cold's brother; in my mind, in the canon universe, Cold managed to kill Arctic in his sleep instead of having him imprisoned like he did, here.

**Great Saiyaman54**: Hahaha, alas, Whis is just a _little_ bit older than Sakura. Given what he is and what he represents, he is quite literally as old as this universe. From his perspective, even a Saiyan's abnormally long life is fleeting. Its kind of like the Doctor and Rose.

**SuperVegitoFAN**: Ohhhh hell yes. Of all the creatures in the universe, Whis is the _one_ you absolutely, under no circumstances, want to anger. He is _literally_ Order itself. Fighting a concept is pretty much a losing proposition from the get-go.

Also, re SSJ Blue + Kaioken, I haven't really seen it, so I can't honestly say how I feel either way. I've only seen bits a pieces of Super, mostly because, and this is just me, I find the Japanese voices to be a little grating. Also, regarding SSJ White (vs Blue), I find the blue to be a bit...strange, though that's entirely personal and also likely a bit cultural, since us Westerners tend to associate white with divinity more than blue. Plus, I was watching Claymore when I thought that part up, so I was a little inspired, lol. Well, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Thirty (Woot!) of _The Prince Ascendant_, Whis, Spiders, and Other Fun Interludes! Take care!


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